And the Rest
by Beth - Geek Chick
Summary: All of my other stories. No, really. There's about 20 of them, and instead of slowly reposting them, I decided to consolidate them into one story. Each chapter is one fanfic. 20 chapters 20 stories. Sorry for all the alert e-mails. All done!
1. List of Stories

Hello, everyone. Going through all my fanfiction, I find that I've written 47 CA stories so far. Holy mackerel!

Instead of every once in a while reposting or moving from here to Live Journal, I've hit on an idea to get them all on here. Ready for it? One story, but each chapter is one of my old stories.

They'll all get loaded here. Here's a summary:

6am Every Sunday, mid-1st season, Auggie has an early morning visitor

14 Questions – 14 chapters, 14 oneshots based on questions

A2 – text message only romance

After Everything – mid-1st season Auggie pushes Annie away, thinking he's putting her in danger

Anne Walker – mid-1st season Ben Mercer shows up, and Auggie goes on the defensive

Broken – An Army buddy of Auggie's comes to town. Love triangle ensues

Diverting from the Path – Stu-based story. Stu and Annie find they have more in common than they think

Epistles – epistolary style story – Annie's transferred to Baltimore

Inside Job – The CIA has a bomber in their midsts

It's my Number – continuation of 1st season finale

Late night Conversations – mid 1st season – Auggie calls Annie late one night

Late Nights and Coffee Pilfering – my 1st Covert Affairs fanfiction

Save the Best for Last – between seasons – songfic

Starbucks – Alternate Universe Annie and Auggie meet in a coffeeshop

The Date – mid 1st season, Annie and Auggie go out on a date

The Memo – between seasons – Annie receives a disturbing memo and runs straight to Auggie

The Question – Annie and Auggie are a couple, and he inadvertently "pops the question"

The Workout – mid 1st season, Annie's injured, and Auggie lends a "helping hand"

Truth in Cliches – set after 2nd season opener

Unrequited Love – between seasons – Annie falls in love, but does Auggie feel the same?

Some are good, some aren't. I have no time to rewrite and no desire to. So, enjoy! And thanks ahead of time for reading.


	2. 6am Every Sunday

Title: 6am every Sunday

Category: TV Shows » Covert Affairs

Author: Beth - Geek Chick

Language: English, Rating: Rated: T

Genre: Romance/Friendship

Published: 09-08-10, Updated: 09-08-10

Chapters: 1, Words: 1,225

_*Knock-knock._ Slightly timid, so much so Auggie wasn't sure he heard anything at first. Fresh from the shower, he continued making the coffee, standing at the counter with a towel wrapped around his waist. He grabbed a gourmet pouch out of the box and dropped it into the coffeepot, setting it to brew. He then turned to his bedroom to get dressed.

Two steps later, and it came again. _*Knock, knock_. Someone was softly knocking at his door. At 6am. On a Sunday. Turning around, he walked over to his door, putting one hand on the latch before saying, "Who is it?"

"Annie. May I come in?" A low and sad voice replied. He almost thought he heard tears in the five words, but he wasn't sure. Sighing, he rested his head against the door and slid it open. A rush of air went past him as Annie walked in. He shut the door again and leaned his back against it, feeling the coldness of the metal against his bare skin.

"I take it something's wrong," he asked.

"No, nothing." The voice was as soft as the knock on the door. It came from the middle of his apartment where she stood. A slight sob accompanied it.

"You have tears in your voice. A phone call usually precedes your visits. And you once said to me that you hate crying in front of people," Auggie said softly. "So, what's wrong?"

The only reply was another sob. He started to get worried. He's seen her laughter and joy, and also her anger and frustration, but he's never known her to openly cry. "Annie?"

He heard her walking towards him, and he straightened up from the door, opening his arms. The final few steps were quicker, and as he felt her body lean into him, he closed his arms around her. Her hands rested on his chest, and her forehead leaned into his shoulder.

Sighing into her hair, he held her tightly as the tears came full force. They were hot against his bare skin, and her shoulders shook with pent-up emotion. They stood like that for several minutes, and soon the tears slowed and the breathing settled. Sliding his hands up her back to her shoulders, he pulled her away from his chest.

"Storm's passed?" he asked with a slight smile.

"Yes," Annie said, nodding slightly. "I got you wet."

Auggie felt her hand move across his chest, wiping away the moisture. With a small laugh, he said, "I won't melt." Turning her to his left, he slid his arm across her shoulder and led her to the couch. "Sit. I've got coffee on, so you can get some in a minute. Let me get dressed, and then we can talk."

"Auggie, I should explain -"

"Shh," Auggie said, "Just sit here for now." He led her to the couch and let her slide out of his grip as she settled into the cushions. Walking into his bedroom, he turned into the walk-in closet and felt for his shorts and t-shirt he normally wore on a Sunday. He pulled the tee over his head and padded barefoot back into the living area.

"Want some coffee?" he asked, making his way back to the countertop.

"Yeah, black, please."

Auggie poured two mugs and made his way back to the couch, handing one to Annie. Settling in beside her, he took a sip of his and waited. Waited for her to start talking. He knew something had happened to her, and he couldn't hazard a guess as to what it was. But one thing he learned about Annie since he met her was that she couldn't be pushed or prodded.

Several minutes later, the clink of ceramic on wood let him know that she had set down her coffee mug. The sound of material sliding against the leather of his couch told him that she had shifted, perhaps sliding her legs underneath her.

"Auggie? Can I ask you something?"

"Of course," Auggie said, setting aside his coffee and turning towards her.

"Does it get any easier?"

Auggie sighed and gave a slight smile. "Depends on what 'it' is. If you're talking about the quality of the coffee, it's the best I can afford. There's a Starbucks around the corner if you're in the mood for a frappe, though."

"I'm not joking, Auggie," she said quietly.

"I know you're not."

"Then answer me, truthfully."

Taking a deep breath, Auggie said, "No, it doesn't."

"That's what I was afraid of," Annie sighed.

The sound of soft material on leather announced her shifting again, and Auggie soon felt her head resting against his shoulder. "So should we make 6am every Sunday a standing date for me to come over crying hysterically?" she asked with a slight laugh.

Sliding his hand over to clasp hers, Auggie said earnestly, "Annie, you can cry on my shoulder anytime, you know that."

"But I shouldn't have to."

"We're not machines, Annie. We're all human, whether we want to believe it or not. We laugh, we get angry, we cry, we love. But this job requires us to put that all that aside for a while and do tasks that we may find distasteful."

"Stop being human?"

"No, not stop, just pause." Letting go of Annie's hand, Auggie lifted his arm and placed it around her shoulder. He felt her slide closer until her body pressed against his. He put a kiss against her hair and continued, "Although I hate the phrase 'the greater good,' but it applies here. You're very good at your job, Annie. and if crying every week gets you through it, then do it."

"Why are you so good to me?" Annie asked, laying her head against his chest.

"Because you're worth it, Annie. Don't you know that?"

"I'm beginning to believe it. Sometimes I wonder where I'd be now if I hadn't met you my first day."

"You'd be doing just as great as you are now."

"No, I wouldn't. You kept me going all this time. I'd be lost with you."

Another shift of fabric on leather. Annie's head lifted from his shoulder, and he felt a soft caress of her lips on his cheek. When she didn't move back, he lifted his hand to her cheek and ran a finger along her jawline. He felt her smile, and spreading his fingers along her neck, he tilted his head and placed a soft kiss on her lips.

He heard her sigh as they broke apart, and she buried her head against his chest. "So," she whispered, "same time next Sunday?"

"Any time, any day, Annie. I'll be here for you."

THE END


	3. 14 Questions

**Chapter 1: What is your favorite number? AW, AA**

"What's your favorite number?"

Auggie paused, the beer bottle halfway to his lips. Blinking against the odd question, he took a swig and swallowed before angling his head toward her. "Excuse me?"

Annie rolled her eyes, "I know you heard me. It's not that loud in here. What's your favorite number?"

"You know, if you're trying to figure out my PIN number, you could be a bit more subtle," he smirked.

"I didn't hear one number in that answer. I'll give you ten seconds to thnk about it. Ten, nine, eight..."

As she counted down, Auggie wondered what her game was. Their few-times-a-week nights at Allen's usually included work-related conversation, advice on both sides regarding family and friends, or tips on flirting - on both sides. They knew each other so well, their tastes and needs, they've often pointed out potential mates, most often, though, with disastrous results.

"Six, five, four..."

She was serious, Auggie thought, as he heard her continue to count down to zero. He thought fast, deciding to play along with her little game, and, perhaps, play one of his own.

"Two, one, zero. Time's up. Spill it, what's your favorite number?"

"1,041," Auggie stated emphatically.

Annie blinked at the odd answer. Then, studying his face for any hint of mirth, she realized he was serious. "1,041? That's an interesting answer. Care to share the reason behind it?"

The corner of Auggie's mouth twitched upwards slightly as he turned towards her, reaching out his hand until he found her arm, and closed his fingers around her wrist. "To be more precise, 10 41. It refers to the time of day when I first met you, Anne Catherine Walker."

Had she not been mesmerized by the sincere look on his face and the warmth of his fingers on her skin, Annie would have caught the twitch on his lips. She didn't, though, and her breath caught in her throat. "Auggie, I - I don't know what to say. You're my best friend, you know that, but I'm not sure -"

Not being able to hold it in much longer, Auggie's mouth twitched again, and he let the chuckle escape his lips, followed by a wide grin.

Annie heard the chuckle and looked back up to his face, where his smile flashed brilliantly at her. "Ohh, Anderson, that was low," she said, pulling her arm out of his grasp and punching him lightly on the shoulder.

"You do realize I owe you one, now," she said in her best sinister voice.

"Do your worst," he replied in kind. "I'll have you know I cannot be gotten."

**Chapter 2: May I join you? Stu, Annie**

"May I join you?"

Stu Heatherton looked up from the bowl of tomato soup he was hunched over to see Annie Walker standing next to his table. He looked around the near empty bistro, then up to her again. "Were you talking to me?"

"Uhh, yeah, Stu, there's no one else here. Who else would I be talking to?" she asked.

"Well, I didn't think that you'd - I mean -" Stu stammered, realizing a blush was slowly working its way up his neck. Suddenly remembering his manners, he stood, motioning to the chair in front of him, not trusting his voice to say anything intelligent for the moment.

When she'd settled into the chair, he sat back down and hunched back over his soup. Stealing a glance up, he watched as she unwrapped her sandwich and placed a napkin on her lap. Her long, manicured fingers wrapped around the bread and brought it to her mouth. As she took a bite, she shook her head back, the blonde curls bouncing around her shoulders. He looked at her face and her expressive brown eyes. They met his, and she smiled at him, causing the blush to creep up his neck again and his fingers to grip tighter around his spoon.

Cursing himself inwardly, he turned his attention again to the bowl in front of him. Melting croutons floated on the top of the red creamy liquid, and he concentrated on capturing one with his spoon.

"You weren't meeting anyone, were you?" he heard her ask, causing him to look back up at her. She was leaning back in the chair and drinking soda out of a paper cup, her lips wrapped around the straw and -

Shaking his head out of his completely inappropriate reverie, Stu said, "No, no one. I - I usually eat here by myself - I mean, on my days off, I usually eat here. It's Saturday, and it's my day off, so -"

Realizing he wasn't making any kind of intelligent sense, Stu swallowed and shook his head again, relegating his answer to the nonverbal gesture and smiled at her.

"Normal days off, I remember what they were like," Annie laughed lightly. "Just wanted to make sure I wasn't interrupting a lunch date or anything. Wouldn't want to create any trouble for you if your girlfriend saw you sitting with someone else, you know."

"No chance of that happening," Stu said softly, capturing a crouton out of the soup and shoving it in his mouth.

"Guess she's working or something?" Annie asked, taking a bite of her sandwich. "It's hard to keep relationships going when your work hours don't exactly coincide, isn't it?"

"I don't have a girlfriend, Annie," Stu sighed, stealing a glance back up at her, the blush working its way back up his neck again at the unexpected confession.

She blinked and set her sandwich down, and as Stu watched, his eyes growing wider, she reached her hand over to his, grasping it and squeezing. "I'm sorry, Stu. It was wrong of me to pry. I just always thought that - well, a good-looking guy like you should have women lined up around the corner."

Stu's hand froze, and as she squeezed it, he looked up at her. She smiled at him, and as he returned it, opening his mouth to reply, she suddenly released him and began to gather her things.

"Sorry I have to run so quickly. Only had about ten minutes to eat before I meet my sister." Standing up, she walked around the table and placed her hand on his shoulder. "This was nice, Stu. Thanks."

Stu watched, his hand still frozen in midair, as she walked out, her blonde hair kicked up by the breeze, flowing around her shoulders, until she was out of sight.

**Chapter 3: What is your favorite color? AW, AA**

"Annie, What's your favorite color?"

"Yellow."

"That's it? Wouldn't want to think it over?"

"What's to think over, Auggie? Yellow's my favorite color."

"Hmm, makes it a bit difficult, though."

"Makes what difficult?"

"Choosing a present. What I want to buy you doesn't come in yellow."

"I told you, you don't have to buy me a present."

"Too late, I've already decided what to get you. But it comes in different colors. You have your choice of red, blue or purple."

"I have to choose now?"

"Yep."

"Between red, blue or purple?"

"Yep."

"But I like yellow."

"It doesn't come in yellow."

"You said that."

"So, choose."

"Tell me what it is first, and I'll know which color to choose."

"Uh, uh, it'll ruin the surprise."

"What if it's a hat? How do I know it'll go with my coloring?"

"It's not a hat."

"So you say. So, you're getting me a present."

"Yep."

"Even though I said it wasn't necessary."

"It's your birthday. Of course, it's necessary."

"You said you'd take me to dinner. That's enough of a present."

"You sure?"

"Yes."

"I don't believe you."

"Why is that?"

"Because you pouted for a week when I didn't get you a Christmas present."

"I did not."

"Yes, you did. You said you didn't want anything. I didn't get you anything. You pouted."

"I was being coy. You didn't pick up on that."

"How do I know you're not being coy now?"

"'Cause I'm telling you I'm not being coy."

"Are you being deceptive? I know you've been trained by the best."

"No deception, no coyness, no fibbing, no lying."

"Pinky swear?"

"I'll swear to you with my entire body, I do not want anything for my birthday except the presence of your company at a fine restaurant."

"I think I can manage that."

**Chapter 4: When was your first kiss? CastOC**

"When was your first kiss?" Annie said into the mic attached to her collar.

A chorus of "excuse me's" came back over her earpiece, nearly deafening her.

"Not everybody at once. Come on, my contact's running late, and I'm falling asleep."

"Annie," Jai's said into his mic, "This isn't exactly protocol."

"Quiet, Jai. This is only going to be between the seven of us. And since you so vociferously objected, Jai, you go first," Annie said.

A few chuckles came across her earpiece, and she heard Jai groan.

"Come on, Jai. Spill it," she heard Auggie say.

"I'm not going to say anything unless Jai chimes in," came the voice of Burt, a fellow agent.

"Same here," Stu said.

"Who asked you, lab rat?" Jai said rather harshly.

"You've been called out, Jai. Spill," Annie said, smiling and settling back in the bench she was sitting on in the train station. The five other agents were scattered around the area, out of sight, with Auggie and Stu running handling duties in-house.

"I can't believe I'm doing this. Okay, okay. I was a sophomore in high school. She was my next door neighbor, and I asked her out. She said she'd only do it if I could kiss properly. So I kissed her."

Annie tried to hold back her laughter, but apparently, the other six people listening in didn't feel the need. Various forms of chuckling and giggling came across her earpiece.

"Okay, everybody. Calm down. Stu, you're next," Annie said, enjoying the little game she'd made up.

"Why me? Can't Auggie go next?" Stu whined.

"Nope, my game, my rules," Annie said.

"Fine. It was on my first date, I was 17. We went for pizza and bowling. Apparently, you're not supposed to order onion rings on a date. It was pretty

horrible," Stu said quickly.

"Aww, poor Stu," Annie said quietly. "Uhh, Connor, you're up next."

"Very well, Walker, but I do this under protest."

Annie smiled, picturing the 55-year-old veteran agent, normally so stoic and upright. "Appreciated. Your story?"

"Woodstock. I had skipped school to attend. I met her there."

"Wow," Annie heard Auggie say. "You were at Woodstock?"

"I wasn't born a CIA officer, Anderson. That's it, that's my story," Connor said, rather huffily.

"Excellent," Annie said. "That's three down. Auggie, you're up next."

"My best friend's sister in a hay loft. We were 14," Auggie said.

"Hay loft? Get real, Anderson," Jai said.

"Yeah, raised on a farm, Jai. They have them there."

Annie laughed. "Yeah, but your best friend's sister is so formulaic, Auggie. I'm having a hard time believing you, too."

"Would I lie to you?" Auggie asked.

"Uh-uh, no questions of your own. This is my game. Brad? Your turn," Annie said.

"Don't think I can compete with Woodstock and a hay loft, but I'll try my best. I was 16, junior Prom. During a very sappy song, slow dancing."

"Aww, that's a sweet one. Burt? Your turn," Annie said.

"Well, I was in an all-male boarding school until I was old enough to vote, so the girls were few and far between. Freshman in college, during a Homecoming game. I bought her a hot dog during halftime, and she kissed me her thanks. I wound up dropping the hot dog," Burt said, laughing.

"Oh, that's a great story," Annie said, smiling to herself.

"Well, Annie?" she heard Auggie said into her earpiece. "We've laid our souls bare. Now it's your turn."

When Annie didn't reply, Jai chimed in, "Walker?"

"Wow, look at that. Seems my contact decided to show up. You guys ready to roll?" Annie said quickly, standing up from the bench.

"That's cold, Annie," Auggie said.

**Chapter 5: Where are we going? AW, AA**

"Where are we going?" Auggie asked, gripping Annie's hand tighter, tapping the ground in front of him with his cane more forcefully as if to ascertain from its echoes where he was.

"Shh, we're almost there," Annie replied, placing her free hand on his upper arm as she led him through the hallway. "Just trust me, Auggie."

"I do trust you, with every fiber of my being, but I don't like not knowing where I am," Auggie said, cocking his head, trying to catch familiar sounds. He knew he was in a building, a utilitarian one, at that. As a surprise birthday present, Annie said she wanted to show him something, but gave no other details.

She drove for a while, then parked and led him out of her car. He knew they'd walked through a paved parking lot and up a few stairs, and now they were in a tiled hallway. The smells told him nothing. There were none. He did trust Annie with his life, but he wondered if she truly understood his apprehension of being in strange places where he was out of his element. Ever since he lost his sight, he'd stayed close to places he knew, if only to offer some sense of awareness of his surroundings.

"Okay, now, through here," Annie said, and he heard a door opening, and they were soon outside again. His feet hit concrete, and then soft grass. After a few steps, Annie pulled them to a halt.

"Annie, what -"

"Shh. Listen."

It was then that Auggie heard it. Soft at first, and then gradually getting louder. Voices singing in harmony, a choir of some type. The music was foreign to him, almost Gregorian Chant-like. But it was unlike any type of singing group he'd ever heard before. The voices seemed to echo and come back to him, harmonizing, rising and falling into another sound entirely.

His grip on Annie's arm loosened as the music of the a cappella voices surrounded him. A sense of peace accompanied the sounds, and he soon felt himself relaxing, the apprehension he'd felt earlier melting away.

Not wanting to intrude, Annie whispered softly, "We're at my old college, in a cloister of one of the older buildings. The choir practices in one of the top rooms, but they leave the windows open."

"Annie, I -" But no words came, nothing could describe what he was feeling. He lifted his head to the sun, its warmth adding to the shivery feeling running over his arms and down his spine as the music echoed around him.

"The area is so small, the sounds echo around the walls. I found this by accident one day," Annie whispered, smiling with joy at the peaceful look on Auggie face. "I used to come here every week, just to listen. I don't think they ever knew I was here."

"It's beautiful," Auggie said, slipping his hand out of hers and wrapping his arm around her shoulders, pulling her against the side of his body.

Shocked at first by their nearness, Annie nonetheless wrapped her arms around his waist. "It used to make all the bad stuff go away, if only for a while. When I thought of what to get you for your birthday, I remembered this place and thought -"

"Shh," Auggie said, pulling her closer to him until they were in a full embrace, his arms around her shoulders, her face pressed into his chest, and her hands lightly around his waist. "Just listen."

Closing her eyes, Annie did. When she'd come here in between classes in the past, she often wished someone else were there with her to share in the near existential experience. And now she did. They stayed like that for what seemed like hours.

As the voices slowly faded away, Auggie took a deep breath, allowing the last echoes to reverbate around him. "Annie?"

Lifting her head from his chest, she looking up at him, smiling at the happiness she found in his eyes and his wide grin. "Happy Birthday, Auggie."

"How can I ever thank you for that?" Auggie said, bringing his hands up to her face, cupping her cheeks.

"No need. I knew you would love it. I was right, wasn't I?" Annie asked, loosening her arms around him, settling them on his waist.

"No one's ever done anything like this for me," Auggie whispered past the growing lump in his throat. "I don't deserve you, Annie Walker."

"No, you don't," Annie said, "But then again, I don't deserve you, either. Yet here we are."

The silence grew between them: Annie looking up at his face, Auggie tracing her jaw and cheekbone. Then slowly, he lowered his head to hers, brushing the softest of kisses against her lips.

Pulling back, he rested his forehead against hers, "You've set quite a precedent, though. How are you going to top it next year?"

"I'll think of something," Annie replied, subtly thrilled by the notion of being together with him through her life.

**Chapter 6: So, what's your type? AW, AA**

_**A/N This question is tied directly to the first chapter, "What's your favorite number?" **_

"So, then, what's your type?"

"Huh?" Annie asked, looking across the table at Auggie, beer bottle sitting empty between her fingers.

"What's your type? So far, I haven't had any luck choosing somebody for you from the steady stream that's passed by the table. You've shot down every single one," Auggie said, his words slightly slurring. They'd been there for several hours winding down after the week.

"Why are you trying to hook me up with someone?" Annie asked, wondering if she should have cut him off after the third beer.

Auggie shrugged his shoulders, "You mentioned the lack of dates you'd had recently, so I was trying to be the best friend that I am and help you out."

"My lack of dates has been self-imposed, Auggie," Annie said, smiling at him. "And even if I did want to date, I wouldn't expect you to provide me with some clientele."

Auggie laughed at out loud. "Self-imposed? Who does that? Come on, you've gotta at least be looking. Maybe not for right now, but maybe sometime in the future?"

"Well -" Annie said, "You've got a point."

"Okay," Auggie said, leaning his elbows on the table and cocking his head towards her. "So, what's your type?" he asked with all seriousness.

Annie shook her head, not believing what her near-inebriated friend was asking her. A sudden thought occurred to her, though, and a sly smile crossed her face. Last week he'd played a trick on her when she'd asked what his favorite number was. She'd just been making light conversation, but he'd made her believe he'd fallen in love with her. He swore she'd never be able to get back at him. Now was the opportune time for payback.

"Auggie, I'm not sure I want to do this," Annie said, allowing her voice to become slightly flustered.

"Come on," Auggie said, his face softening towards her. "I really want to help."

Annie took an audible deep breath and said, "Well, I need a guy who's taller than me, but not giant-tall. Just a couple inches."

"Got it. Go on," he said, clasping his hands together on the table.

Knowing she had him hooked, Annie continued, "He's gotta be fit. Muscular, but not weightlifter type muscle, sort of on the lean side. And, let's see, I've always been drawn to guys with dark hair and dark eyes."

"Tall, dark and handsome? Slightly cliche, wouldn't you say?" Auggie asked.

"Quiet. You asked, I'm telling you. Now, he's gotta be funny. I value a sense of humor above all else."

"Tall, dark, handsome and a comedian? You're not giving me many choices here."

Leaning towards him over the table, Annie continued, "He has to be smart and loyal and a gentleman. And, you know, I've always been attracted to Army guys. And -" Annie let her voice drop to a near whisper. "I've always had a soft spot in my heart for those wounded in battle."

As she said the words, Annie kept her eyes on his face and started counting mentally. She'd gotten to five when his eyebrows rose and his mouth dropped open. Any other time he'd probably see through her ruse, but he'd been drinking for several hours.

He gulped twice, and she could swear a blush was creeping up his neck. He clasped and unclasped his hands on the table, and she had to fight to stop herself from laughing.

"Annie - I don't know what to say, I mean -" Auggie stuttered.

"Don't say anything. Just let me say one more thing?" Annie asked, placing her hands over his.

"Uhh, sure," Auggie said, stilling his hands under hers.

"Gotcha."

**Chapter 7: What would you do? AW, AA**

_A/N This chapter's title came from the City High song "What would you do?" _

"What would you do?" Auggie voice rasped in her ear, as his arms locked around her torso, his chest pressed into her back, and he jerked her off the ground. The perspiration built up from their light sparring session made the grip difficult to hold, but he held her there tightly.

"Auggie, what are you doing?" Annie squeaked, all her limbs frozen. Her hair hung in her eyes, sweaty and stinging, but his grip held her arms to her chest. She felt slightly off balance, but soon relaxed as she realized his strength held her safe.

"What would you do?" Auggie asked again, keeping his voice low and in her ear. "Tell me, what would you do if you were attacked like this?"

"Auggie, come on, I'm tired," Annie said, only to feel his arms grip tighter around her, causing her breath to constrict. "I can't breathe."

"That's your answer? Your attacker's going to give up because you're tired?" Auggie growled, bending back slightly to put her even more off balance. "Tell me, Annie, what would you do?"

Realizing he wasn't going to let her go, Annie began to panic slightly. Their fight training usually consisted of practicing punches and ways to take down assailants, even a few martial arts moves. This, however, scared her, and she wasn't sure what Auggie expected her to do.

His arms clenched around her slightly, and the slight sting of pain made something in her snap, and she began to fight. Her arms were useless beside her, and the angle at which he held her made a well-placed backwards headbutt useless.

Kicking her leg backwards, first one, then the other, she made contact with his kneecap several times, finally hitting him hard enough that he grunted with pain, and he stumbled.

Whipping her head back, she felt her skull collide against his face, and his arms loosened around her slightly. Another whip of her head, and she was dropped back on her feet again.

His arms, though, were still around her, but their loosened grip allowed her to move her right arm. Balling her hand into a fist, she drove her elbow into his ribs, and his grip broke completely.

A sweep of her foot under his, and he was flat on his back. Annie dropped to the ground beside him, placing one knee on his torso and her hand on his throat.

Breathing hard, she was shocked back to the present as she saw a smear of blood on Auggie's lip. He held his hands out in front of him in surrender, and she loosened her grip on his throat.

"Auggie," she whispered, touching his lip where it was split.

"Knee," Auggie groaned.

"Oh, sorry," Annie said, shifting her weight off him and kneeling beside his prone body.

Expelling a rush of air, Auggie took a couple more deep breaths, laying his hands on his chest. A wide smile broke over his face, then retreated slightly as his split lip protested.

"Auggie, I'm sorry, I -" Annie started to say.

"Sorry for what? You did great," Auggie said, shaking his head at her. "Just wanted to see what you'd do if you were attacked suddenly."

"But your lip," Annie said, reaching out and touching it again. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

Auggie hissed as he felt her finger touch his mouth, and he grasped her wrist quickly, stilling her movement. "I know you didn't mean to. Want to kiss it and make it better?" he asked, laughing.

He felt her hand move away from his face, and he began to move to sit up when he felt her lips on his, so lightly he thought he imagined it.

"Annie?" he whispered, feeling his own breath come back to him, realizing she hadn't moved back. Then the caress came again, directly onto his lower lip where it split. The slight sting of pain mixed with the softness and sweetness of her lips caused his breath to catch. Too soon, she pulled away, and her hand was grabbing his, pulling him to his feet.

"I don't think kissing your attacker as a ways to subdue him was listed in the handbook," Auggie said, smirking.

"But effective, nonetheless, don't you think?" Annie replied, linking her arm with his. "The Farm doesn't teach you everything."

**Chapter 8: Pie Duty? AW, AA, Dani**

"Pie duty? Why do I get stuck with pie duty?" Annie whined, leaning on the food-laden counter.

"You're kidding me, right?" Danielle said, turning around and giving her younger sister her best glare.

Backing down, Annie said, "Okay, but you'll give me a minute first?" Opening the kitchen door, she headed out into the cold morning sun to the guest house.

"Annie! Don't you dare leave me alone with this!" she heard Danielle shouting after her.

"Give me a minute, Dani! I'll be right there!" Annie shouted out her open front door. Racing back to her bedroom, she grabbed her cellphone off her nightstand and punched speed dial, sitting down on her bed.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Auggie, it's Annie," she said, regretting she'd called so early, the sleep evident in his voice.

"Annie? Aren't you supposed to be enjoying the holiday?" Auggie asked, chuckling.

"I am," Annie said, warming to the sound of his laughter through the phone. "Dani's got me on pie duty. I'm heading over to her house now. Sorry for calling so early, but I wanted to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving before everything got crazy over here. Michael's side of the family is coming, and it promises to be a very full house."

"Thanks, Annie. Happy Thanksgiving to you, too," Auggie said. "If they get too rowdy, you can hide out over here."

"You're not going home or somewhere?" Annie asked.

"Not this year."

"Would you - no, forget it."

"What is it, Annie?"

Steeling her courage, Annie took a deep breath, "Would you like to join us?"

"Join you for Thanksgiving dinner?"

"Yeah, I mean, you said you're going to be alone, and -" Annie couldn't believe what she was asking, nor did she know where the courage it took to ask came from.

"Wow, I don't know -"

"You - you don't have to, and I can't blame you for not wanting to," Annie said quickly. "There's going to be a total of 12 adults and 9 children under the age of 10. Just the noise alone is enough to -"

"I'd love to come," Auggie interrupted.

Annie's hands nearly dropped the phone, "Huh?"

"I'd really like to come," Auggie said, laughing. "You did say there was going to be pie, right?"

"Yes, four different kinds," Annie replied, her smile widening. "Pumpkin, of course, apple, boston creme and cherry."

"Okay, okay, you had me sold at apple pie," Auggie said. "I'll be there in an hour."

"See you then. You're coming by cab?" Annie asked.

"Car service, yeah."

"I'll keep an eye out for you. See you then," Annie said, hanging up. Jumping off the bed, she ran out her front door.

Later that night, Annie sat with Auggie on her front porch in the cooling air. Stealing a glance over at him, she smiled at the peaceful look on his face. Considering how all her nieces and nephews attacked him as soon as he'd arrived, she'd expected him to run screaming for the hills. But he'd taken the mob in stride and offered piggyback rides to them all in exchange for good behavior.

"Thanks for inviting me, Annie," Auggie said quietly.

"You had a good time, then?" Annie asked, nudging her shoulder into his side. "I was sure you'd call the cab back once the Lollipop Guild attacked."

Auggie laughed out loud and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her to his side. "The Lollipop Guild was delightful. Kids love me, you know."

"Yeah, I know," Annie said, remembering his bailout of her niece's trip to the Smithsonian a few months before. "So, why were you alone on Thanksgiving, anyway? You said you had a big family."

"Four brothers, all with families of their own and plans of their own," Auggie said. "Past few years, I've been working over the holidays, so they've given up on inviting me."

"So if I hadn't invited you over?" Annie asked.

"I would have eaten by myself after listening to the Macy's Parade on the tv."

"Well, as exciting as that sounds, you've now got a standing invitation to the Walker household for all holidays," Annie said, leaning up and kissing his cheek.

"Thanks, Annie," Auggie said, squeezing her shoulder once more before letting go and standing up. "Come on."

"Where are we going?" Annie asked, taking his outstretched hand, allowing him to pull her to her feet.

"I think there's some pie left over," he said with a wink, linking his arm with hers.

**Chapter 9: Do you think we're clear? AW, AA**

"Do you think we're clear?" Annie whispered, keeping her voice as low enough to be heard only by Auggie, who was directly behind her.

"Yeah, there's no way they'll tail us into here," Auggie said, shutting the door quietly behind them. Annie hadn't moved, and he took a shuffling step to close the door fully. However, that step took him directly in contact with her back. The door clicked closed, and he took a deep breath.

"Annie, can you shift a bit?" Auggie asked.

"I would, but there's no room," Annie said, her hands feeling around the dark space. "It seems our hiding place is a very small closet."

Her fingers lightly felt the wall in front of her, coming upon a metal box. Must be the fuse box, she thought. Moving her hands across the wall, she felt a shelf to the right at eye level. The other wall was smooth. "It must be the utility closet," she said. "There's a fuse box in front of me, but nothing else."

"You couldn't have found a bigger hiding place?" Auggie asked, trying but failing not to notice the way her body shifted against his as she felt her way around the cramped space.

"There was no time. They were right on our tail," Annie said exasperated, still moving her hands along the wall, trying to ascertain the circumference of the room. "Anyway, we shouldn't be stuck here for long."

"It's not that," Auggie said, finally placing his hands on her shoulders to still her actions. "Just, stop moving," he said huskily.

At the tone of his voice and clap of his hands on her shoulders, Annie froze, dropping her hands down to her sides. The air in the tight space became slightly denser as she became more aware of his warmth against her back. She was nearly face-first into the opposite wall, and moving to give them breathing space was an impossibility.

"I - I could try turning around," Annie whispered.

Lifting his hands off her shoulders, Auggie reached over her to ascertain the dimensions of the room himself, but save a few inches in front of her and about a foot to either side, both their bodies took up the majority of the space. He lowered his arms, brushing them against her shoulders as he did so.

They were so close, her hair brushed against his face as she turned her head, and he breathed in her subtle scent. Normally, the sweet smell only alerted him that she was near. Now, though, it was all he could smell, and coupled with her slight body pressed against his, he unsuccessfully fought the sudden and intense urge to wrap his arounds around her and get lost in that scent.

He settled his hands again on her shoulders and leaned his head down a scant few inches until his nose came in direct contact with the soft strands. Knowing what he was doing was wrong, that his co-worker and friend deserved much more than what was slowly sinking into a teenaged fumble in a closet, he found he couldn't stop. Inhaling deeply again, his fingers dug into the soft skin of her shoulders as his nose came dangerously close to the source of where she evidently dabbed that intoxicating perfume behind her ear.

Annie's hands pressed up against the wall in front of her as her knees started to go weak. God, she thought, what was happening to her? Every nerve ending tingled where their bodies touched, which at the moment meant she was on fire from her knees up to her scalp, where his head nuzzled into her hair. She heard as well as felt him inhale deeply, his mouth dangerously close to her ear. His hands gripped her shoulders so tightly, she was sure that she'd find bruises there the next morning, and she felt herself being pulled back further against him. "Ohh, damn," she moaned as his lips grazed her neck. They were impossibly soft, and coupled with the scrape of his beard-shadowed jaw, her will melted, and she gave herself up entirely to him, melting back against his tall, hard frame.

As she slid back against him, Auggie groaned, his hands softening on her shoulders. One slid down her arm to her waist, sliding around her middle, while the other slid up along her collarbone, tracing the light bone beneath her shirt until he came to her neck. He followed the lines until he came to her jaw, cupping his fingers around, turning her head towards him. He felt her breath against his mouth, and he brushed his lips against the source.

Annie strained in his embrace to touch him, as well, twisting her shoulders and neck to return his caress, offering her mouth up to his. Her body protested at the odd angle, but with a few movements, she was able to turn completely around in his embrace, never losing contact with his mouth. As their bodies pressed against each other's again, his lips opened under hers, and she sighed as he deepened the kiss with an intoxicating sweep his tongue.

A sudden thundering of footsteps outside the door broke them apart. Given their tight quarters, though, their bodies still pressed against his each other, though Annie had dropped her arms from his neck, and Auggie reluctantly let go of her waist. The door flew open, and the sudden brightness startled Annie.

"Found you, Aunt Annie!" Chloe screamed out. "Hey, no fair that you're hiding together with Auggie, though. That's against the rules."

As Chloe stomped off in search of the other hide-and-go-seekers in the large house, Annie started to follow after her, only to have Auggie's hand reach out and grab her wrist.

"Auggie, what are you -"

Her protestion, however, was cut short as she was pulled back against him into the closet, and his mouth found and covered hers again. And with his free hand, Auggie felt for the door handle and pulled it closed again.

**Chapter 10: To be or not to be? AW, AA in college**

_All Hamlet quotes belong to Shakespeare, of course. Just borrowing from the Bard._

"To be or not to be? That is the question, whether 'tis knobblier in the mind -"

"Nobler, Aug, not knobblier," Annie said, rolling her eyes and flopping on her stomach on his bed, kicking off her shoes. Holding the dog-eared paperback in both hands, she said, "Now, try it again."

Standing in the middle of his dormroom, Auggie took a deep breath, and holding his hands in what he figured was a "Hamlet" pose said, "To be or not to be? That is the question. Whether 'tis - Seriously, are you sure it's nobler? I don't even know what that means."

"To be noble," Annie said, sighing. "Seriously, how did you ever get this role?"

"'Cause my dad's the university president, and the theater director is hedging for tenure status?" Auggie said sarcastically. "You know what? Forget it."

Crossing the room easily, he reached his hand out for her, and feeling her fingers on his, sat down on the bed next to her. She lay on her stomach crossways, and he placed his hand on her back, running his fingers down her spine.

"Mmm," Annie said, "as much as I'd like you to never stop doing that, we need to rehearse."

Auggie smiled, "Come on, Annie. Even Shakespeare took a break every once in a while." Splaying his hand across her back, he stroked her from neck to waist, bending down to press a kiss against her hair. She turned over at the caress, pressing a hot, quick kiss against his lips before pushing him back.

"Shakespeare was a genius," she pointed out.

"Are you saying I'm dumb?" Auggie smirked, his hand now on her waist, moving slowly upwards. She caught his hand before it could get too far, winding her fingers with his.

"No, of course not. You're one of the smartest guys I've ever met, and that's saying something, considering we both attend the same highly prestigious university. Now, try it again. You've got the rest of the lines down. Just have to memorize the monologue."

Auggie groaned, laying back on the bed, their clenched hands behind them. "I'm seriously thinking of telling Mr. Martel to give Hamlet to someone else. Maybe I could play his father? He's just a ghost, stumbling around the stage."

Annie laughed. "Have you even read the entire play, Auggie?"

"Of course I have, and I've memorized most of the dialogue. It's just these ridiculous monologues I can't get my mind around." Throwing his arm over his face, he sighed heavily. "Whoever heard of a blind Hamlet, anyway? I'll probably fall off the stage and make a fool out of myself."

Sitting up, Annie pulled on Auggie's hand until he joined her cross-legged in the middle of the bed. His face was downcast, his mouth marked in a frown. "Come on, Auggie. You forget, I'm playing Ophelia. I'll be on stage with you, and so will all the other guys. We'll help you through it."

He sighed again, and Annie cradled his hand in hers. "My lord, I have remembrances of yours, that I have longed to re-deliver; I pray you, now receive them."

His head snapping up, Auggie looked confused, and then smiled wide. "No, not I; I never gave you aught."

"My honour'd lord, you know right well you did; and, with them, words of so sweet breath composed as made the things more rich: their perfume lost,take these again; for to the noble mind rich gifts wax poor when givers prove unkind. There, my lord."

Grasping both her hands in his, Auggie continued, "Are you honest?"

"My Lord?"

"Are you fair?"

"What means your lordship?" Annie continued.

"That if you be honest and fair, your honesty should admit no discourse to your beauty," Auggie said, raising his hand to Annie's face, fingers stroking her cheek.

"Could beauty, my lord, have better commerce than with honesty?" Annie quoted quietly, her breath catching in her throat at the light touch.

"Ay, truly; for the power of beauty will sooner transform honesty from what it is to a bawd than the force of honesty can translate beauty into his likeness: this was sometime a paradox, but now the time gives it proof. I did love you once," Auggie said, the last words almost a whisper.

Swallowing hard in order to get out the next few lines, Annie whispered back, "Indeed, my lord, you made me believe so."

Leaning forward, Auggie caught her last words with his lips, grasping her jaw more firmly. Her arms crept up his chest, and never breaking contact with her mouth, he laid her down on her back, joining her by her side.

When the kiss broke, Auggie buried his head in her neck, inhaling her sweet scent. "Geez, that Shakespeare guy knew what he was writing about, huh?"

"Yeah, though Hamlet and Ophelia never kissed after that scene," Annie pointed out.

"I know, but don't you think they should? It'd make it much more interesting," Auggie said, waggling his eyebrows at her.

"Do you really want me to answer that?" Annie asked.

"No, what I want is this," Auggie said, and leaning down, whispered quietly in her ear, making Annie blush and Auggie groan as her arms wrapped around his back.

**Chapter 11: What took you so long AW, AA**

"What took you so long?" Auggie whispered, his lips slightly grazing Annie's ear. He felt her shiver in response, from the arms wrapped around his torso to her legs as they grazed his in their embrace. His own arms held her shoulders, his fingers lightly squeezing.

Annie's lips curved into a smile, "Would you have believed me before?" she said.

"Oh, absolutely," Auggie said, moving his lips down the column of her neck to the softer skin just above her collarbone. "I've been crazy about you for two years now."

Annie leaned back at this, and he groaned at the loss of contact. "So me telling you I love you didn't come as much of a surprise, huh?" she said, taking half a step toward him so that he was pressed almost entirely between her and the front door of her car. He didn't speak, only shook his head no, and she gaped at him. "And you've been hiding your feelings all this time?"

"Wasn't sure how you felt," Auggie said, leaning forward in an effort to capture her lips. Annie evaded, though, and he groaned, digging his fingers into her arms gently.

"So, you've been crazy about me for two years, huh?" Annie asked.

"Yes," Auggie said, groaning as her body pressed fully against him.

"And we've been dating now for six months?" Annie continued, her hands slipping up between them, caressing his chest. Auggie nodded, more interested in where her hands were headed than the summarization of their relationship.

As her fingers made their way all the up to his neck, and then the strong line of his jaw, Annie said, "So, Mr. Anderson, I've finally taken the step to declare my undying passion to you. Do you have anything to say to me, or have you lost the power to speak?"

Her body rubbed ever-so-slightly against his as she stood on tiptoe to effectively reach his lips, and Auggie gasped. "Annie, please."

"Please what?" Annie whispered, her lips a fraction of an inch from his.

As his hands let go of her shoulders and wrapped around her, Auggie replied, "I love you, too. Now, please put me out of my misery."

Annie smiled, then acquiesced to his demands, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing her lips to his, moaning as his mouth opened under hers.

**Chapter 12: Are you in? Cast**

"Are you in?"

Tapping her long fingernail against her two hold cards, Annie stared across the table at a smirking Conrad. She didn't blink and continued to hold his gaze. Clear blue eyes held hers, and soon she saw what she was looking for. A slight twitch in his jaw.

"Fold," Annie said, throwing her cards into the middle of the table. She leaned back in her chair as the action slid around to her left. When Jai had pulled out a deck of cards two hours ago, she'd leapt at the chance of playing a few rounds of Texas hold 'em. She soon learned, though, that she'd inadvertently agreed to join the annual informal tournament complete with stacks of chips, pitchers of beer, and an almost bloodthirsty competition amongst whoever of the DPD were on hand.

"Great move," Auggie whispered in her right ear, making Annie smile a bit. She sipped on her beer and watched as the action unfolded around her. Although Jai offered to get Braille playing cards so Auggie could join in, he said he'd rather sit this one out.

He'd placed his chair next to Annie's and, every so often, whispered snatches of information and tells he'd caught from the other players in her ear. The subterfuge allowed her to knock out Barber and Stu, who'd gone down early on with one all-in. Annie figured it was because Minnie'd spent the majority of her time making eyes at Stu instead of concentrating on the game.

Now only her, Minnie, Conrad and Jai were left. The two men now faced each other heads-up, and considering how Jai kept fingering his chips, she knew the play would drag on for a few more minutes.

Settling back in her chair, she was startled to find Auggie's arm stretched out along it. Glancing over at him, he seemed relaxed, drinking his beer, his legs crossed, his right ankle on his left knee. He'd shed his jacket, and sat in his vest, dress shirt and jeans.

"Come on, baby, you know you can beat him," Bea purred into Jai's ear. She'd opted out of the game, instead spending the past couple of hours scooting her chair nearer and nearer to Jai until she was now practically in his lap. The group was on their fourth pitcher of beer, and between that and the rounds of shots, Annie was surprised any of them was coherent enough to play effectively.

She watched as Bea's hand slid down Jai's thigh and squeeze his knee. A clattering of chips echoed across the table as Jai pushed his stack into the middle of the table.

"All-in," he said, his hand plucking Bea's off his knee and bringing it to his lips. "Wish me luck, baby."

"Call," Conrad said quickly, flipping his two hold cards up. The small gathering around them moaned as the two Ace cards skittered across.

Auggie turned his head to Annie and whispered, "What's he got?"

"Two Aces, one heart, one spade," Annie whispered back, in awe. "The table's showing King, 10, 9 and 3. Still got one final card."

Jai looked hesitant as he flipped over his own cards to show King-Queen of hearts. His all-in bet had been called, and Annie watched as his and Bea's clenched hands lay on the table.

Keeping up her whispered commentary to Auggie, Annie leaned closer to him, "Jai's got a pair of Kings. Unless he catches a third, he's beat."

"The odds of that are too high," Auggie whispered back at her, so close that Annie shivered slightly as his breath tickled her ear. Her head swam a little, and she blinked several times. She'd had way too much to drink, she thought, placing her glass of beer back on the table.

"Go ahead, Barber," Conrad said, smiling at the man holding the deck. "Put Jai out of his misery."

Rolling his eyes, Barber tapped the deck against the table. Setting aside the top card, he flipped over the other to show the 4 of spades. A collective groan sounded as Jai was effectively knocked out of contention.

"Yes!" Conrad shouted, standing to slide the chips over in front of him. "Shouldn't let yourself get distracted like that, Jai," he said, nodding his head at the dark-haired beauty.

"Jealous, Conrad?" Jai asked, wrapping his arm around Bea as he settled back in his chair to watch the rest of the game.

"I'm here to play, my friend," Conrad retorted, stacking Jai's former chips in front of him.

Gathering the cards in front of him, Barber expertly shuffled them and began dealing them out to the remaining players. Annie picked up her two hold cards and examined them. She was wondering what she could do with a Jack-10 offsuit when she heard Auggie's voice in her ear again in a low whisper.

"What perfume are you wearing? You've changed it, haven't you?"

Annie started at the intimacy of the question, her fingers gripping on the cards. Jerking her head to the side, she stared at Auggie, who sat there innocently, as if his question had been about the weather.

"Annie? Your bet," Barber prompted, staring at her.

She looked around at the assembled group, who all looked at her expectantly. "Umm, I'm out," she said, and with shaky fingers threw her cards back on the table.

The action continued on around the table, and Annie grabbed her glass of beer again, taking a big drink. She heard Auggie chuckling low beside her, and she whispered, "What was that about?"

"Don't know what you mean," he whispered back, his arm warm against her back. Lifting his hand, he traced a small pattern onto her shoulder. "You know, you really should work on your poker face if you plan on winning this thing."

Fat chance of that happening if you keep whispering in my ear and caressing my shoulder, Annie thought.

A new hand started, and Annie took a deep breath as she picked up her cards again. A pair of Queens stared at her, and as she glanced around at the remaining players, Conrad and Minnie, she realized she had a real chance with this hand.

She looked at her stacks of chips, running over them with her fingers, trying to calculate how much her initial bet should be. She felt Auggie near her ear again, "Tell me, do you only wear that perfume behind your ear, or do you dab it on other places, as well?"

A few chips fell from her hand, and she took a deep breath, willing herself to concentrate on maintaining a straight face. Picking up her bet again, she placed them in front of her.

Play moved off to her left, and she risked a look to her right at Auggie's face. "Are you trying to make me lose?" she whispered at him.

"Hey, you two, no pinch hitters here," Conrad said, frowning at the whispering pair across the table.

"Annie's new at this," Auggie said, cocking his head at her. "Besides, what could I possibly tell her that'd make any difference?"

Looking suspiciously at the two of them, Conrad turned his attention back to his hand.

Stu walked by, refilling their glasses out of their fifth pitcher of beer. Annie watched as Auggie took a large drink, and she whispered, "Don't you think you had enough already?"

"Enough of what, Annie?" Auggie replied, licking the foam off his upper lip before smiling at her. She followed the small movement of his tongue, and considering the way her body involuntarily responded, she realized maybe she'd had enough to drink, as well.

She pulled her eyes back to the table and continued on with the hand, which ended with Annie beating Conrad and effectively knocking Minnie out, who had gone all-in with her small stack.

As the cards were reshuffled, Annie turned back to Auggie, "I think you've had too much to drink."

"Do you now?" Auggie whispered back. "And what else do you think about me?"

"New hand, Annie," Barber said, frowning at her. "Unless you and Auggie would like to forfeit and continue your conversation elsewhere?"

"Shut up, Barber," Annie said, picking up her cards. Quickly ascertaining her position, she picked up a few chips and threw them in with the rest at the center of the table.

"Now, that's an idea," Auggie whispered in her ear again. "What do you say we blow this place and find somewhere quiet?"

Annie tried to ignore his drunken flirtation and concentrate on the game, but his fingers had started to trace small patterns on her shoulder again, and her breath hitched in her throat.

"Enough of this kid stuff," Conrad said, staring across the table hard at Annie. "You and me, Walker, head-to-head. All-in."

She stared back, her eyes narrowing. "I've got more chips than you. If I call, and you lose, you're out," she said.

"I know," Conrad replied, winking at her. "Are you up for it?"

Annie's lips curled into a smile as she looked again at her hold cards. A pair of Kings were a strong hand, and she was seriously considering taking him up on his offer when Auggie leaned toward her again.

"Well, Annie, tell me, are you up for it? I know I am," his whisper sending goosebumps down her spine.

Tiring of both of the games being played before her, Annie quickly pushed all her chips into the center. "I call."

A chorus of "whoas" echoed around the table as the potential last hand of the game played out in front of them. Barber quickly laid the first three cards down. Annie smiled as a King was amongst them, giving her three-of-a-kind against Conrad's potential heart flush. He held the Ace-Queen of hearts, and along with the King on the table lay the 3-4 of hearts. Unless another heart was dealt, Annie would win.

"Let's go, Barber," Conrad said testily, looking nervous at the prospect of losing.

Barber quickly laid down the fourth card, a 7 of clubs, and without hesitating, the final card, a 9 of diamonds.

Annie sat back in her chair, a wide smile on her face. "Sorry about that, Conrad."

"Sure," Conrad said, smiling back. "Next time, though, Auggie's banned from giving you hints at the table."

Standing up, he stretched his arms overhead. "Well, come on, guys. I know the rules. Final loser buys rounds at the bar."

As the chairs scraped back, and everyone shuffled off past her, Annie drained the rest of the beer from her glass before standing up. Grabbing Auggie's hand, she pulled him to his feet and led him over to a darkened corner.

Pressing him up against the wall, Annie smiled at his perplexed expression. "Annie, where are we?"

"Did you really think I'd let you get away with that?" Annie said quietly, placing a hand on his chest and, leaning in, nuzzled her face into his neck.

"Get away with what?" Auggie laughed, his eyes widening. "Annie, what are you doing?"

"Going all-in," she whispered in his ear before turning his head towards her and pressing her lips against his. He needed no further encouragement, and with a small laugh, wrapped his arms around her and angling his head, returned her kiss with a passion.

**Chapter 13: Do you see what I see? AW, AA, Jai**

"Do you see what I see?"

"Huh?" Annie said, turning away from her conversation with Auggie at the annual, unofficial CIA get-together at Allen's Tavern that passed for a holiday party.

Behind her, holding above her head what looked to be a twig with a couple of dead leaves still attached, Jai smiled at her, swaying slightly. "I said, do you see what I see?"

Annie could smell the alcohol on his breath, and given the glassy look in his eyes, he was three sheets to the wind. As he leaned close to Annie, she put a hand up to his chest. Was he trying to kiss her?

"What are you doing, Jai?" she asked, taking a step back and bumping into Auggie.

"It's mistletoe, Annie," Jai said, his strong breath washing over her face. "It's very bad luck not to accept a kiss under it, you know."

And with a speed she wouldn't have given him credit for, given how obviously drunk he was, Jai grabbed her arm and pulled her to him, pressing his lips against hers.

Annie squeaked out a protest, but apparently, Jai hadn't heard or didn't care and pulled her closer, attempting to deepen the kiss. Annie kept her lips closed at the onslaught, telling herself he was only acting this way 'cause he was drunk, but as his arms wrapped around her, and he pulled her up against him, she panicked and pulled back against him.

"Come on, Annie," he slurred. "What do you say we find a quiet corner, and I give you your Christmas gift?"

"Jai, you're drunk," Annie said firmly, pressing against his chest firmly to extricate herself.

"What does that matter?" he slurred again, leaning down to kiss her again.

"No, Jai," Annie said, twisting her face away.

"Ahh, come on," Jai whined.

"She said no, Wilcox," came a low and quiet voice behind Annie.

"Mind your own business, Anderson," Jai said, bending down to Annie's face again.

Annie tried again to push him away, but soon felt his grasp on her loosen. Watching with widened eyes, she saw Auggie come up from around her and grip Jai's arm, pulling the man away from her.

Jai's eyes snapped anger at the man, and he growled low, stepping up to him. "What is your problem, Anderson? You laying claim to Annie?"

"Back off, Wilcox. The lady said no, that should be enough," Auggie said, tensing at Jai's nearness.

"Answer the question," Jai said threateningly. "Or are you afraid she'll pick me, and you'll lose. Again."

"Annie can make up her own mind," Auggie said in a low voice, taking a half step back. "Though I doubt she'll be picking a drunken louse who doesn't know how to treat her like the lady she is."

"Auggie, watch out!" Annie shouted as she saw Jai's arm cocking back, his hand clenched into a fist.

She needn't have worried, however, as Auggie heard material rustling and ducked Jai's wild throw. Grabbing him by the arm as it whistled over his head, he delivered a quick punch to his mid-section, doubling him over, before pushing him away.

Jai was gearing up to charge him before several others took hold of him.

"Let's go, Wilcox," one of them said, dragging him away into the crowd. "Somebody call him a cab!"

Turning back to Annie, Auggie said, "Are you okay?"

"Uhh -" was all Annie got out, her mind reeling at what she just witnessed.

Auggie stepped up to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "He didn't hurt you, did he?"

"No, he didn't," Annie said, blinking and smiling up at her rescuer. "I - I just can't believe he would do something like that. He's always been so nice to me."

Auggie shrugged, and he felt her arms go around his waist in a hug.

"Thanks for rescuing me, though," Annie said, reaching up and placing a kiss on his cheek.

Smiling at the soft caress, Auggie said, "Anytime."

He noted, though, that her arm stayed around his waist, and so he placed his own at hers, enjoying the subtle warmth of her pressed against his side. Jai's words echoed back at him, and he realized the man was right in one sense. He guess he was laying claim to Annie, and given the fact that he was the one her arm was around now, it was a victory of sorts.

"Hey, Annie?" he whispered, bending his head down towards her. "Do you see what I see?"

Confused at the odd question, Annie looked up at him, seeing the smile playing around his lips. "Only if I closed my eyes," she said with a laugh.

"Then do it," Auggie replied.

As Annie's eyes shut, she wondered what game he was playing, but soon found out as his lips touched hers. She gasped slightly at the soft, sweet caress. So very different, and so very gentle, her gasp turned to a sigh as she leaned into it, allowing his arms to come around her and effectively erasing every hint of Jai's previous assault.

**Chapter 14: Do you remember last night? AW, AA, Jai**

_A/N Direct follow-up to previous chapter, "do you see what I see?"_

"Do you remember last night?"

Annie blinked up at the tall, exotically handsome CIA officer who stood beside her desk. "Umm, do I remember? I'm surprised you do, considering," Annie replied, frowning at him and crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"Bits and pieces," he said, running a hand over his face.

Annie took in his creased forehead and bloodshot eyes, willing herself not to feel sorry for the man who'd so much as accosted her at Allen's not 12 hours previously.

"Don't even remember how I got home," he said, attempting a smile, but failing.

"A cab was called for you," Annie supplied.

"Good. Thanks for that."

"I didn't call it, don't thank me," she replied, scoffing.

"Annie, please, my memory is so hazy, I - what little I do remember," he said, dropping his voice so only the two of them could hear, "is the fact that I kissed you, and you weren't exactly a willing participant."

"You remember correctly," Annie said.

"Damn. I am so, so sorry. I usually don't drink that much, but considering it was such a festive occasion, I must have gone over my usual limit," he said, leaning on her desk. "Please say it didn't go any further than a kiss."

"No, Auggie made sure of that."

"Anderson was there? Don't remember him. I do know when I woke up this morning, I had a bruise on my ribs. was that -"

"You tried to deck him when he pulled you off me, and he punched you, yes," Annie said.

"Aww, geez, yet another person to apologize to," Jai groaned, shaking his head.

"Apology accepted," Annie said, sighing and patting his hand as it gripped the edge of her desk. "You had too much to drink, I understand that. Besides, Auggie took charge of the situation, and everything was settled."

"Yeah, by laying me out, which I agree was deserved" Jai said, smirking. Straightening, he held out his hand to her, "Forgive and forget?"

Nodding, Annie took the man's hand and shook it. She watched as he walked away, thinking he may have an ego the size of Texas, but he did know how to lay on the charm when it was needed.

"Hey, was that Jai I heard talking to you?"

Annie turned at Auggie's voice to see him walking up behind her. "Yeah. You're not going to believe this, but he actually apologized for last night."

"As well he should," Auggie said, smiling. As he came up to her chair, he laid his hand on her shoulder, sliding it over until he reached her neck. There he let his fingers caress the soft skin.

Annie leaned into the subtle caress, all that could be afforded in the open bullpen with others scurrying about. "He also apologized for trying to punch you."

"He remembered that, huh?" Auggie said, laughing.

"Actually, no, I had to tell him," Annie said, joining in his laughter. "He, uhh, was wondering where the bruise on his torso came from."

Watching as he puffed his chest in masculine pride, Annie stood. His hand still rested on her shoulder, and her heels took her to almost his height. Being in his arms last night was a bit of heaven, and though it never went further than those few minutes, he'd spent the rest of the night with his arm firmly around her waist. One additional kiss good night as they'd shared a cab ride home sealed the beginning of what Annie knew would be something wonderful.

"Just in case you were thinking of asking me out for tonight, you should know my answer is going to be yes," she whispered, secretly loving the feel of his fingers as they slid down her shoulder to her elbow.

He tugged, leading her to his office, where thankfully it was empty of the rest of the crew. Sliding his door closed, Auggie stayed close to her, his grip on her elbow easing, his fingers caressing her upper arm. "And what makes you think I wanted to ask you out?" he teased.

Nearly getting breathless at his touch and the low rumble of his voice, Annie reached up to his face, dragging a finger along his jaw. "Ohh, so last night was just being friendly? I know you're an incorrigible flirt, but -"

"But?" Auggie prompted, his voice hitching ever-so-slightly as her finger grazed his lower lip.

"But...if you were sincere last night, I'd be willing to take a chance," Annie finished, her fingers sliding off of his face to rest against his chest.

"Last night was a revelation," Auggie confessed, laying his hand against hers on his chest. "Almost feel like thanking Jai. If he hadn't -"

"Shh," Annie whispered, and giving a sweeping glance through the windowed walls behind them, she noted that the few people in view were otherwise engaged. Leaning into him, she brushed a soft kiss against his lips. "I'll come by after you're done for the day, and we can continue this conversation, okay?"

Flustered slightly by the unexpected show of affection, Auggie nodded, and as she left the room, he sat down at his desk, wondering how appropriate it would be to send Jai a thank you card.

**THE END**


	4. A2

Title: **A2**

Category: TV Shows » Covert Affairs

Author: Beth - Geek Chick

Language: English, Rating: Rated: T

Genre: Romance/Humor

Published: 10-06-10, Updated: 01-30-11

Chapters: 8, Words: 4,450

Chapter 1

_A/N Text message challenge I set for myself, how much angst/fluff/friendship can be written through straight text messages. _

A2: Auggie Anderson

AW: Annie Walker

**A2** you there

**AW** yes. what's up

**A2** almost done here

**AW** need a ride home?

**A2** already called a cab

**AW** don't trust my driving?

**A2** thought maybe you'd gone out

**AW** staying in tonight

**A2** tough day?

**AW** you were there with me

**A2** i know, that's why i'm texting you now

**AW** does joan know you do this

**A2** use expensive, highly encrypted computers to chat?

**AW** yes

**A2** what do you think?

**AW** i don't want to get you in trouble

**A2** your kind of trouble i can take

**AW** but still

**A2** no one will ever know, it'll be our secret

**AW** wouldn't it be easier to call

**A2** yes, but this is much more fun

**AW** and you're the fun time guy

**A2** ?

**AW** nothing. you do this often?

**A2** no. why do you ask?

**AW** can't tell if you're flirting or just teasing me

**A2** ;) that answer your question?

**AW** you're much bolder in cyberspace, pal

**A2** and you're not?

**AW** :*

**A2** did you just cyberkiss me?

**AW** is that what that meant?

**A2** yes

**AW** then, yes, i did

**A2** *blushing

**AW** i'd pay money to see that

**A2** propositioning me now?

**AW** what do you think?

**A2** i think we're diving into the deep end here

**AW** i can swim

**A2** damn

**AW** too bold?

**A2** no, just right

**AW** still wanna wait for that cab?

**A2** how fast can you get here?

**AW** 20 minutes

**A2** then to Allen's?

**AW** if you're buying

**A2** hell to the yeah

**AW** CUL8R

**A2** DNBL8

**AW** lol you're good at this

**A2** i'm a geek, so sue me

**AW** see you in a bit

**A2** bye, annie

Chapter 2

**AW** hey, you there

2min later

**AW** guess not. talk to you tomorrow

**A2** i'm here

**AW** it's late. did i wake you

**A2** not asleep, just not on computer. needed to sync

**AW** ever gonna tell me how you do this

**A2** if you say please i might

**AW** promise

**A2** pinky swear promise

**AW** thanks

**A2** for what

**AW** making me laugh when i need it

**A2** here to serve, ma'am

**AW** my own personal soldier boy

**A2** sounds good to me

**AW** any other services you offer

**A2** now who's being bold

**AW** now who's avoiding the quesiton

**A2** annie

**AW** auggie

**A2** you chickened out last time

**AW** last time you got drunk at Allens and flirted with another girl

**A2** you went to restroom. she sat down

**AW** and you couldn't resist?

**A2** i didn't flirt with her, annie

**AW** i thought...well

**A2** i was there with you, annie

**AW** so i shouldn't have left

**A2** no, i wish you wouldn't have

**AW** i feel stupid now

**A2** don't

**AW** i'm sorry for leaving you there

**A2** no need to say that

**AW** do over?

**A2** definitely

**AW** so, you were listing your services?

**A2** i think you know what i can offer

**AW** yes?

**A2** as a friend, you can get loyalty and advice

**AW** already have that

**A2** best friend status gets you a shoulder to cry on and unlimited midnight calls

and chatting

**AW** :)

**A2** of course, if you want an upgrade, i offer romantic dates and intense

flirting

**AW** wow

**A2** ;)

**AW** guess you're angling for an upgrade

**A2** you're guessing right

**AW** and i guess it's way too late to do anything tonight

**A2** free tomorrow

**AW** are you asking me out

**A2** do i have to ask

**AW** damn, auggie

**A2** lol what?

**AW** no, you don't have to ask. i'll see you tomorrow

**A2** sweet dreams, annie

**AW** of you?

**A2** :)

Chapter 3

**A2** hey, you there

**AW** yeah

**A2** making sure you got home safe

**AW** just got in

**A2** had a good time tonight

**AW** same here

**A2** still early yet

**AW** you're the one who wanted to leave

**A2** that college crowd was getting rowdy

**AW** oh, was that it

**A2** what else could it be

**AW** that one guy who was hitting on me

**A2** oh, him

**AW** yes, him

**A2** you handled it well

**AW** standing between the two of you before you decked him, yeah

**A2** should've let me

**AW** didn't want to see you arrested

**A2** would've been worth it

**AW** my hero

**A2** *blushing

**AW** Aww, that's cute

**A2** annie, please

**AW** what, you don't think you're cute?

**A2** do you really want me to answer that?

**AW** then i will you-are-cute

**A2** and you-are-beautiful

**AW** and how would you know?

**A2** don't believe me?

**AW** now i remember. you can tell by how guys talk to me

**A2** partly

**AW** partly?

**A2** yep

**AW** and the other part?

**A2** i'll tell you some day

**AW** you're impossible

**A2** and you're fishing for compliments

**AW** come on, it's the heels, isn't it?

**A2** that, and your kind heart and intelligence

**AW** Aww, you love me for my mind, how original

**A2** yes, i do

**AW** come on, auggie

**A2** one, two, three...

**AW** omg, did you just say

**A2** yes, i did

**AW** don't know what to say

**A2** no need to say anything

**AW** but...

**A2** annie, don't worry about it

**AW** not worried, just wondering

**A2** about what

**AW** why now

**A2** huh

**AW** via text?

**A2** no reason, just realized it myself

**AW** wish i could see you now

**A2** why

**AW** so i can kiss you

**A2** you kissed me tonight. very thoroughly

**AW** that was different

**A2** 20 minutes ago was different?

**AW** don't be obtuse

**A2** sorry

**AW** it's still early. can i come over?

**A2** of course

**AW** i need to tell you something

**A2** go ahead

**AW** in person. i refuse to tell you i love you over a cellphone

**A2** :) too late. see you soon

Chapter 4: Chapter 4

**AW** auggie

**AW** please, talk to me

**AW** i can see you're online. please

**A2** damn technology

**AW** what's wrong

**A2** not now, annie

**AW** why not

**A2** don't want to talk

**AW** not here, not at work. you locked your office

**A2** i was busy

**AW** you won't answer your phone

what's wrong

please talk to me

**A2** not now

**AW** you're angry with me, aren't you

**A2** no

**AW** but you won't talk to me

**A2** what do you want me to say

**AW** i'm worried about you

**A2** i'm fine, annie

**A2** cutting yourself off from the world is not fine

**A2** i'll be fine

**AW** i'm coming over

**A2** no, don't

**AW** auggie, you're scaring me

**A2** don't mean to

**AW** why are you pushing me **AW**ay? i love you

**A2** i know

**AW** please, let me in

**A2** don't want you to suffer, as well

**AW** you're suffering?

**A2** every year at this time

**AW** how long?

**A2** 4 years now

**AW** the IED

**A2** yeah

**AW** let me help you

**A2** nothing can be helped

**AW** not like you to indulge in self pity

**A2** it's not pity

**AW** then what

**A2** memories are stronger

**AW** they would be

**A2** always wonder what if

**AW** nightmares?

**A2** when i can sleep

**AW** don't have to be alone

**A2** you have enough to worry about

**AW** you're more important

**A2** don't want you to see me like this

**AW** don't care what you look like, you're hurting

**A2** it'll pass, always does

**AW** until next year?

**A2** probably

**AW** and the year after that, and the year after that

**A2** probably

**AW** do you believe that i love you

**A2** yes

**AW** let me in. if you love me, let me in

auggie?

**A2** okay

**AW** be there as soon as i can

**A2** annie?

**AW** yeah?

**A2** thanks

Chapter 5

**A2** hey, sweetheart

**AW** hey, it's early

**A2** i know

**AW** what are you doing

**A2** listening

**AW** okay...

**A2** it's raining

**AW** let me open my window

**A2** spring rain, can you smell it?

**AW** now i can. it's beautiful

**A2** close your eyes and listen, hear it like i do

**AW** there's a bit of thunder

**A2** in the distance, no lightning

**AW** air's cool

**A2** goosebumps?

**AW** a bit

**A2** got a blanket? put it on

**AW** no, it feels good

**A2** wanna come over? we can listen to it together

**AW** we are

**A2** but i can't touch you

**AW** later, i promise. just want to sit here, and listen

**A2** used to hate the rain

**AW** lol why?

**A2** couldn't run in the rain

**AW** didn't want to get your hair wet?

**A2** har har

**AW** :)

**A2** clears my head now

**AW** more nightmares?

**A2** no, haven't had one since...

**AW** since i came over?

**A2** yeah. did i thank you

**AW** yes, several times, in fact

**A2** *gulp

**AW** too bold?

**A2** not fair doing that when you're so far **AW**ay

**AW** okay, i'll stop :(

**A2** don't pout

**AW** :D

**A2** that's better

**AW** lol

**A2** now, where were we?

**AW** listening to the rain

**A2** and wondering

**AW** wondering what?

**A2** what it'd be like to kiss you in the rain

**AW** come on, that's not fair

**A2** lol can't help myself

**AW** it's sunday, you got any plans?

**A2** right now, can't think of anything else but kissing you in the rain

**AW** by the time i get there, it'll have stopped

**A2** we could improvise

**AW** damn, boy. you make it hard to refuse

**A2** then don't

**AW** be there soon

Chapter 6

**A2** morning, beautiful

**AW** good morning, auggie

**A2** what are you doing

**AW** sitting on the porch, watching sunrise, but clouds moving in

**A2** isn't it cold out

**AW** not too much, want to keep me warm

**A2** too far away

**AW** I'm only 50 feet away from you

**A2** so?

**AW** why don't you join me

**A2** in a while

**AW** feeling lazy?

**A2** just enjoy txting you

**AW** txting me? that's all you enjoy?

**A2** you're much bolder in cyberspace. I like it

**AW** I can go bolder

**A2** not sure I can take it

**AW** wearing you out, soldier boy?

**A2** if you do, I'll die happy

**AW** with your physique, don't think I could wear you out if I tried

**A2** care to put that to the test

**AW** mm, perhaps

**A2** tease

**AW** more like a promise

**A2** ;)

**AW** clouds won, it's raining again

**A2** come inside

**AW** no

**A2** no?

**AW** you're going to join me

**A2** I am?

**AW** you said you wanted to kiss me in the rain

**A2** that was last Sunday

**AW** change your mind already?

**A2** thought of something else

**AW** something else?

**A2** your backyard is fenced in, right?

**AW** yes

**A2** no one can see

**AW** auggie, i'm afraid to ask what you're thinking

**A2** dance with me?

**AW** in the rain?

**A2** dance with me, in the rain

Chapter 7

**A2** good morning

**AW** do you know what time it is

**A2** yes

**AW** 5:00

**A2** i know

**AW** in the morning

**A2** hence my good morning a few secs ago

**AW** good morning to u 2

**A2** plans?

**AW** it's tuesday

**A2** correct

**AW** we have to work

**A2** not due in for 3 hours

**AW** so why the wake up call

**A2** i was up

**AW** i wasn't

**A2** if you were here you would be

**AW** ahh now i get it

**A2** hmm?

**AW** don't be coy

**A2** who me?

**AW** this part of the plan?

**A2** annie, would i do something like that

**AW** yes

**A2** is it working?

**AW** it's a big step

**A2** we're together most of the time anyway

**AW** true

**A2** and we love each other

**AW** that too

**A2** there's a pool at work

**AW** about us?

**A2** that's what stu said

**AW** you bet on us?

**A2** no of course not

**AW** so everyone knows

**A2** is that so bad

**AW** no not at all

**A2** just want you here with me

**AW** it would cut down on text charges

**A2** :)

**AW** sure you want this?

**A2** wouldn't have asked otherwise

**AW** i'd miss this

**A2** i miss you more

**AW** you make it hard to refuse you

**A2** then don't

**AW** you sure you want me there? i'm not a neat person

**A2** no excuses

**AW** and i hog the blankets

**A2** annie

**AW** yes?

**A2** please

**AW** yes

**A2** yes?

**AW** gonna make me say the words

**A2** uh-huh

**AW** ask me again

**A2** annie, will you do me the honor of moving in with me

**AW** yes

**A2** :D

**AW** we have 3 hours until work

**A2** come over

**AW** be there soon

Chapter 8

**A2** bonsoir, mon amour

**AW** bonsoir, auggie

**A2** how's paris?

**AW** beautiful. In a nice hotel for a change

**A2** I know

**AW** how do you know?

**A2** I might have had a hand in your travel arrangements

**AW** you didn't have to do that. Only here for a brush pass

**A2** yes, I did. Look out your window

**AW** the eiffel tower

**A2** Yep, night there. Is it lit up

**AW** Yes, it's beautiful

**A2** expect room service later

**AW** Auggie, what's going on?

**A2** uh-uh, you'll soon see

**AW** tease

**A2** text me as soon as room service arrives

**AW** okay

**AW** Hey, auggie

**A2** room service arrived, then?

**AW** yes

**A2** you didn't open it yet, did you?

**AW** message on the tray said not to until I text you

**A2** good. Annie, listen to me

**AW** I'm here

**A2** I love you with all of my heart

**AW** I love you, too, auggie

**A2** I love waking up next to you and if you're not here, love being able to text you and know you're there

**AW** :)

**A2** texting brought us together, and I only thought it fitting to use it for this, too

**AW** Auggie, what are you saying?

**A2** open the box on the tray

**AW** OMG, auggie, is that a ring?

**A2** Annie, will you marry me?

**AW** I don't believe this. Auggie, you're thousands of miles away

**A2** answer the question, sweetheart

**AW** yes, of course I'll marry you, but you're so far awat

**A2** who says I'm far away?

**AW** what?

**A2** in the elevator now

**AW** you're here?

**A2** will be in a few minutes

**AW** you're unbelievable. I love you so much. You know that, don't you?

**A2** yes, I do. Glad you said yes, else it'd be a lonely flight back home

**AW** LOL

**A2** hey, annie?

**AW** yeah?

**A2** knock-knock

THE END


	5. After Everything

Chapter 1

"I should fire you, you know," Joan said, every trace of gentleness Auggie had come to known from her gone from her voice.

"Yes, I know." Auggie sat in a chair in front of her desk, preparing to either get fired or congratulated. Which, he didn't know yet.

"I made it abundantly clear three months ago what would happen if you went off by yourself on an op."

"Yes, you did."

"So, why are you still here?"

"I don't know, "Auggie said, smiling. "Perhaps it has to do with the fact that I just received a shiny new medal personally handed to me by your husband."

"This is no time to be flippant, Anderson. You may think that this is a joke, but I am far from amused. I've told you before you're not sanctioned for field work, yet you keep sneaking away. Have you ever wondered why that decision was made?"

"'Cause you don't think a blind guy can do field work?"

"Yes. That may sound hard, harsh, politically incorrect, and downright rude, but it's the truth. I need my agents to be fully capable, and although you've managed to overcome difficulties, you're not able to work in the field. We need you here."

She sighed, and her voice softened. "Take this latest adventure as your final shining glory, Auggie. Liza Hearn has been fired and indicted on charges of espionage, as is her contact, thanks to you."

"So what are you saying, Joan? I should accept my trophy, retire now and live out my days on the beach somewhere?"

"No, of course not. But all that anger and frustration that's inside you, that pushes you to break the rules and push everyone's buttons, you've gotta let that go. You have people counting on you, people like Annie. She would follow you to the ends of the earth. She doesn't deserve to be dragged along with you on your road to self-destruction."

"I would never do anything to hurt Annie."

"Maybe not intentionally, but if you stay on this track, it will happen. We need you here, Auggie. The only reprimand you will receive will be verbal, but if you test my faith in you again, there's nothing I can do to help you."

"Understood."

Auggie stood and walked out of Joan's office. It was over, he thought, with an odd mix of relief and regret. But Joan, as blunt and to the point as she was, had a point. He was pushing his luck trying to relive his glory days.

Though he enjoyed the rush and reveled in the closure of a case, his blindness had gotten in the way. He relied on others to "see" for him, and to help him out. And they had, for whatever reason - friendship, loyalty, even pity. He'd never wanted pity, not in all these years, but once he heard it in the voice of his mark, he used it to his full advantage, and to hell with his pride.

Walking down the hall to tech ops, he felt a touch on his shoulder. Other than her scent and how she walked, Annie's touch was also very distinctive.

"Hey."

"Hey," Auggie sighed, slowing to a stop. "Don't worry, she didn't fire me."

"She's not stupid, Auggie. She knows how important you are to the agency."

"Maybe," Auggie said, taking her elbow and continuing to tech ops. "All I know is, I'd better keep my head down for a while. No more sneaking out to help you, no more secretly dating dangerous women, and keeping Joan apprised of everybody I come in touch with."

Annie laughed lightly, "That's gonna put quite a damper on your dating life."

As they reached tech ops, Auggie slid open the door and walked inside the empty room. "Yeah, well, it's only for a while, until I get in Joan's good graces again. Right now, all I want is a drink."

He sat down in his chair and reached for his keyboard, shutting down his computer. Once he confirmed that everything was secure, he stood again, pulling his jacket coat off the back of his chair and slipping it on. He needed to get drunk, he thought. Taking a couple steps away from his desk, he realized that Annie still stood at the doorway.

"What about you? Got plans with Jai tonight? Or is it Dinner Night at your sister's?"

"Uhh, no," Annie answered, "on both accounts. I told you I wasn't interested in Jai. Why do you keep pushing us together?"

"I'm not, I just thought -" Auggie sighed. "Listen, you wanna join me for a drink? There's something I want to talk over with you."

Chapter 2

Joan stood at her doorway, watching the couple as they left. Annie had her hand at his elbow, her head angled towards Auggie. He, in turn, walked with his head slightly tilted, listening to her talk. Inhaling deeply, she let her breath out with a sigh. Annie and Auggie, she thought with a smile. A slight sense of deja vu washed over her as she remembered how she and Arthur had met, here at the agency. She, a hothead with the noble idea that she could save the world, and he, brash and sexy. Their courtship was fast and volatile.

Annie reminded her of herself, and she had tried to wean the girl off her "save the world" attitude. She'd needed her eyes opened, fast, to survive in the agency. Thankfully, Annie found her own Arthur in Auggie. But Auggie had his own demons to fight, and, Joan thought, she hoped Annie was strong enough to withstand the coming storm.

As Annie shifted her car into gear and pulled out of the parking space, she glanced over at Auggie, who was sitting unnaturally quiet in the passenger seat.

She told him once that she trusted him, but where did their friendship stand now? He'd kept secrets from her. Even after she had told him nearly everything about herself, he hadn't reciprocated.

"You never said where you wanted to go."

"The Tavern's fine, Auggie replied. "Someplace quiet."

As he settled into a back booth Annie guided them to, Auggie reached for his mug and took a good-sized swallow. Annie hadn't talked much since they'd left work, and he knew she was patiently waiting. Waiting for him. The problem was, he didn't know where to start. Joan's words to him echoed in his head, that he was on a path of self-destruction, and if he didn't stop, he'd take Annie down with him.

"I never said congratulations, did I?" Annie asked. "You were able to do what no one else in the agency did, you know. You should be proud."

"Yeah, I guess it was a good op," Auggie said with half a smile.

"I'm serious, Auggie. Not many agents would go as far as you did, and you did it solo. It was rather brave of you."

"Joan would phrase it as 'reckless.'"

"Reckless or not, the end result is what matters. Liza, and the leak, are gone."

"And all is right with the world," Auggie said, raising his mug in a mock salute before draining it. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Annie, I know you've been patient and supportive with me over the past few months, and, I gotta tell ya, I'm thankful for that. I'm also thankful that you let me run with the ruse I'd been pulling on Liza without blowing my cover. But Joan said something to me today that -"

Auggie swirled the empty mug around in his hands, before he felt Annie's on his, stopping the motion.

"What did she say, Auggie?"

"Well, after she told me she wasn't firing me for going behind her back, she said I was on a path of self-destruction."

Taking Auggie's empty mug from his hands, Annie refilled it with the pitcher on the table. "That doesn't sound like Joan. Why would she say something like that?"

"Maybe because it's true," Auggie said, taking another large drink. "Ever since I was relegated to tech ops, I'd been wanting to get back into the field. I'd started dating Liza about a month before you got here. She'd started writing those columns, citing an anonymous CIA source. Then one day I ran into her. She knew I was CIA, had seen me here, and apparently liked the way I looked. From then on, it was easy."

"Yeah, well, you always did have a way with the girls," Annie remarked, draining her own mug of beer.

"I knew what I was doing, Annie. But I so wanted to prove that I could be a full-time agent again, that I could still be a member of the team, I didn't tell anyone. I knew you were disappointed in me when you found out."

"Not disappointed, no," Annie said. "Just hurt that you didn't tell me."

"I was so far into it at that point, and I was so close, I couldn't tell anyone. I never meant to hurt you, Annie."

Seeing the sincerity in Auggie's eyes, Annie reached across the table and laid her hand on his.

As soon as he felt the warm touch, he grasped her fingers and squeezed gently. "But you were disappointed. I could tell it in your voice when you accused me of being the leak."

"At first, yes, but -"

"It was at that moment that I thought to myself maybe I was in too deep, but I'd convinced myself I could finish it. And then Natasha -" Auggie fell silent as the memory of that train ride with Natasha flashed through his memory. "I almost left with her, you know."

"But you didn't."

"No, I didn't, but we almost got killed in the process. I'd pushed my luck once too often. If you and Jai hadn't found us -"

"We found you because you left us clues, which meant you were still following orders. Joan let you run that op because she knew you would succeed," Annie said emphatically, squeezing his hand once more.

"But I still disregarded protocol and made up my rules along the way, just like I did with Liza. Just like I've done with you. How many times have I snuck out of the office to help you during a mission? How many times have I put your life in danger just because I wanted a little bit of the glory for myself?" Auggie asked, his voice raising slightly.

"Auggie, what are you saying?" Annie asked.

"I'm saying that Joan was right." Auggie sighed defeatedly, releasing Annie's hand. "I can't do this anymore."

"This?"

"My job description is to sit behind my desk and provide technical support to you. I can't help you anymore than that. In fact, maybe I should assign your missions to one of the other guys."

Annie's mouth dropped open at Auggie's words. "Don't you think you're over-reacting?"

"No, Annie, I'm not," Auggie said, running his hands through his hair in frustration. "Joan touched a nerve tonight, and I didn't want to believe her at first, but I'm beginning to see it's true. My actions have put you in danger, and I have no right to do that. I won't allow you to be dragged down with me."

Taking another drink from her mug, Annie slammed it down on the table, making Auggie jump. "You listen to me, Auggie. I don't care what Joan said. Your actions are far from destructive. You may have made a mistake going on the Liza Hearn op alone, but you closed the case when no one else could. And as for putting me in danger, the only time I have felt safe on a mission is when your voice is in my ear, telling me everything's going to be okay."

"Annie, please -" Auggie whispered, pressing his hands up against his eyes.

"So you're giving up on me?" Annie cried, not believing what Auggie was saying. "After everything we've done for each other, after I've stood up for you in front of Jai, you're cutting me out of your life?"

Swallowing hard, Auggie nodded, "I just think you'd be safer with someone else."

"No, you don't," Annie said, quietly. "You're just giving up, quitting, and for no reason, other than the fact that you've suddenly become a coward."

Sighing heavily, Auggie reached into his pocket for his cellphone. "I'm sorry it has to be this way, Annie." He stood up from the bench. "Don't worry about giving me a ride home. I can call a cab."

As he waited outside on the sidewalk, Auggie felt a deep sense of loss and sadness he hadn't expected. She had called him a coward, and maybe she was right. But if his being a coward meant that Annie would be safe, he'd gladly accept his fate.

He'd only known her for a few months, but when Joan pointed out how attached he and Annie had become, he realized something. He truly, deeply cared for Annie Walker. And, as was so eloquently pointed out to him, she would follow him to the ends of the earth, and he'd be damned if he'd allow her to plunge off the edge with him.

Chapter 3

Annie strode through the halls of the CIA the next day, not even bothering to glance into tech ops, where she usually stopped to banter with her best friend. Ever since he had walked away from her last night, she had run the gamut of emotions - starting with sadness, going through frustration and denial, but it all ended with her current mood: anger.

Walking into the bullpen, she sat down at her desk and stowed her purse and jacket in the bottom drawer. Jai sat across from her and flashed his megawatt smile at her. "Good morning, Annie."

"Morning, Jai," Annie replied. Glancing up to Joan's office, she saw her there, behind her desk.

"Could I ask your opinion on something?" Jai asked, standing up and walking around to Annie's side.

"Sure, what do you need to know?" Annie asked, keeping a sideways glance on Joan.

Jai took a deep breath and said in a whisper, "I was going to ask Bethany out this weekend, and I wanted your opinion on what a girl like her expects for a first date."

"Wait, what?" Annie asked, distractedly. "Bethany? From the seventh floor?"

"Yes," he answered, keeping his voice low.

Annie smiled, glad that one of them is having luck with the opposite sex. "Well, I've only talked to her a few times, but she seemed like the date-and-a-movie type. Bring flowers, not roses. Try to find her favorite kind."

"I can do that," Jai said, reaching out and giving her arm a squeeze. "Wish me luck."

"Like you need it," Annie said, smiling. As Jai walked away, the sound of the tech ops door opening caught her attention. She saw Auggie walk out, laser cane in hand, and walk down the hall. Her eyes followed him until he was out of sight. He looked upset, and Annie had to fight her instinct to run after him, hook her arm into his and ask what troubled him, but the memory of what he said last night made that impossible, now. Sharpening her resolve, she quickly made her way to Joan's office.

Setting her jaw against her anger, she took a deep breath as she opened the glass door. "Joan, may I talk to you for a minute?"

Looking up from the open files on her desk, Joan saw Annie standing at her door. "Sure, but make it quick. We've got a new case, and I'm going to need you on it."

Annie walked in and stood in front of Joan, "This won't take long. I just need to know what you said to Auggie yesterday."

Joan set down the file she was holding and leaned back in her chair, "That's a personnel issue, Annie. You know I can't divulge that."

"I need to know," Annie said, with more anger than she wanted to display in front of her boss.

Raising her eyebrows at her freshman agent's tone of voice, Joan said evenly, "What I discuss with Auggie or any other agent in this office is confidential. I will not discuss it with you, but if you need to know, you can ask Auggie."

"I already did."

"Then why are you here?"

"Because -" Annie swallowed, feeling the sharp prick of tears in her eyes. "Because he so much as dumped me last night." Bravado gone, Annie dropped into a chair.

"He - what? What are you talking about, Annie? I didn't even know you two were dating."

"We're not dating, but -" Annie swiped at her eyes and took a deep breath. "Last night he said that he thought his actions were putting me in too much danger, and he didn't want to work with me anymore. He even said he'd assign Stu or somebody else to be my tech support on missions," Annie said.

Frowning, Joan sat forward in her chair, looking at the obviously distraught young woman. "He can't do that, Annie. It's my call as to who goes on missions, who's the backup, and who's the tech support," she said, gently. "Did he say why he didn't want to work with you anymore?"

Annie scoffed, "You know why. You put the idea in his head that he was on this 'path of self-destruction,' and that he was dragging me down with him."

"Annie, that's not what I told Auggie, and I'm sorry if he gave you that impression," Joan said. "I shouldn't do this, as it's a gross breach of protocol, but it seems a grave misunderstanding has taken place. What I told Auggie, in a nutshell, was that he wasn't sanctioned for field work, and though he was able to plug the CIA leak all by himself, he broke the rules, and if he did it again, I'd have to fire him."

Standing, Annie's thoughts swirled as her anger began to dissipate. "But - but what about -"

"I also told him that if he didn't let go of the anger and frustration that's built up in him since his accident, he'd hurt those around him."

"Ohh," Annie said softly, realization dawning on her slowly. "So you never told him to stay away from me?"

"Annie, you and Auggie make a good team, and I would be a fool not to use that to our full advantage." Picking her files up again, she stood and came around her desk. Placing a hand on Annie's shoulder, she said, "Auggie is not in a position to pick and choose who he gets to work with. Now, report to the conference room in 15 minutes. We have a new case."

As the last of the agents filled the seats around the conference table, Joan started talking. "We've got a tip this morning on the hotline that an unknown threat may happen at the International Medical Association Conference taking place tonight at the Smith Center. Over 100 doctors from around the world will be there. The tip was vague, but we have reason to believe it's real."

Joan continued talking, pointing out the layout of the center and details of the conference on the large monitors around the room, but Auggie barely heard her. He had read over the file already and knew what was expected of him. Besides, it was hard to concentrate when he could feel Annie's gaze on him. She sat in the seat to his left, and as the files were passed around, her hand grazed his, but she had jerked back quickly.

He almost reached over to her, almost opened his mouth to say something, anything to her, but the words died in his throat.

"Jai and Elizabeth will pose as attendees to the conference," Joan continued. "As well as keeping their eyes and ears open, they will plant several bugs around the area to pick up the attendees' conversations. About a dozen countries are members of the International Medical Association, so that means a good handful of languages. Annie, that's where you come in."

Upon hearing her name, Annie jerked her gaze from Auggie's quiet profile to Joan. "Yes?"

"Your language skill set is about to be tested. We need you to monitor the audio feeds and provide realtime translation to Jai and Elizabeth, who will then take whatever action as they deem is necessary. Auggie, your team will need to set up the system as soon as possible. Annie will need to be able to switch between the feeds quickly."

"It shouldn't be a problem, Joan," Auggie answered, standing. The rest of the agents began to stand, as well, grabbing their files and heading for the door.

"Wait," Annie said, grabbing onto Auggie's arm, stilling him. "Joan, don't you think I could do this better on site?"

As the noise from the dispersing staff dissipated, Joan replied, "You'll be hearing and translating multiple conversations from, what is it, six languages you're fluent in? No one else here has those kinds of skills, and I want this operation done quickly. You will need to concentrate on the translation while Jai and Elizabeth keep their cover."

Nodding, Annie knew Joan was right. Realtime translation itself took concentration, and if she was going to be hearing several languages at once, she couldn't do that and maintain a convincing cover.

"Annie?"

"Oh, sorry," Annie said, releasing Auggie's sleeve. Looking at him, Annie thought she saw him smile slightly as he walked out of the conference room. Standing, Annie glanced over at Joan. "I'm not sure I can do this, Joan."

"Yes, you can, Annie. Auggie may have exorcised some of his past with Natasha, but he's still fighting a few demons in there. If you're as true a friend of his as I think you are, you won't let him down."

Annie nodded, picked up her files and left the conference room. Hugging them to her chest, she walked down the hall. She had hoped that after some time apart, a few field operations with Auggie on her cell leading her, it would prove to him that they were good together, and that he wasn't as destructive as he thought. Now, though, they would be working side-by-side on an op. How was she going to get through this night?

Her head full of these thoughts, she turned the corner quickly only to barrel into someone.

"Hey! Damn it, why don't you watch where you're going?" Auggie half-yelled, stumbling back against he wall. As he regained his balance and stood back up, Annie's scent caught him. "Annie? Are you okay?"

Reaching out for her, Auggie caught her arm and helped her stand back up. "You're not hurt, are you?"

"N-No, just - I'm fine," Annie stuttered, feeling the warmth of Auggie's hand on her skin. "Sorry for running you down like that. I was thinking about tonight's operation and not watching where I was going."

"Well, no harm, no foul," he said, moving his hand down her arm to the elbow. His thumb caressed the soft skin of her inner elbow. A palpable silence stretched between them as the memory of the previous night echoed through his head. He as much as threw her out of his life, yet here she was, crashing back in, literally.

"I - I should be getting back to tech. There's a lot of equipment to set up before tonight. Jai will need about a dozen transmitters, and they need to be programmed."

"Of course, you've got a lot to set up. Do - do you need any help with that? I don't have much to do until Jai and Elizabeth are in place, so -" Annie's voice trailed off, half full of hope.

He nodded, and Annie placed her hand over his on her elbow, leading them both back to tech ops. It was a start, she thought, sighing.

Chapter 4

Auggie's grasp on Annie's elbow was a little too tight, he knew, but he couldn't - didn't want to loosen his grip. Plus, her fingers on the top of his hand sent a curious warmth through his arm. As they walked through the bullpen, he heard various agents scurrying around, preparing for the night's op.

"Annie!"

He stopped at Jai's voice behind them.

"Annie, can I talk to you for a minute?" Jai asked.

Slipping his hand from Annie's arm, Auggie said, "You go on, I'll meet you in tech."

As he walked past the pair, he couldn't help but notice that Jai waited until he was clear and then spoke to Annie in a low voice, so low that he couldn't make out what was being said. He felt a strange tug in his chest as he slid open the door to his office and walked in.

"Hey, Aug man, I laid out the devices on the table to the right of your computer. Anything else you need?"

"No, Stu, thanks," Auggie replied, settling down in his chair. "You don't need to hang around, Annie's volunteered to help."

"Annie? What's she know about this stuff?"

"Absolutely nothing," Auggie said, a half smile on his face.

"Then what's she going to help with? Ohh," Stu chuckled, "She's going to 'help out,' huh? Man, you gotta let me in on your secret. Don't worry, I'll clear out, let you have some alone time with your girl. Just keep it on the down low, man."

"Stu, it's not like that, Annie and I -"

"See you later, Auggie," Stu said, slapping Auggie on the shoulder and leaving.

Sighing heavily, Auggie sat back in his chair, thinking. He had done a lot of that since the cab dropped him off at his apartment building last night. He'd sat on his couch for hours, wondering if he had done the right thing. He had been so sure of himself in the tavern, but as Annie's voice soft voice echoed through his head, calling him a coward over and over again, he had felt his resolves loosen.

He knew it wasn't in his power to kick himself off of Annie's missions, but he still felt that their strong bond and his reckless behavior caused way too many close calls. But what the hell else could he do, he asked himself.

Athough he had told Joan he'd be a good boy and never misbehave again, he couldn't promise that to himself. It was the nature of the beast. His job, all their jobs posed unknown risks. Annie's intellgience and ability to think on her feet had gained her respect from her first day on the job.

She could have paired up with anyone as her backup, her mentor. Yet she chose him, and he, seeing a kindred spirit, someone who laughed at all his jokes and hadn't spoken to him yet with any kind of pity in her voice, had accepted the role as her partner.

He'd started his surreptitious op on Liza Hearn just before Annie set foot in the DPD, and Annie's energy and faith in him gave him the confidence to keep on with it. He'd wanted so hard to prove to the entire department - to Joan, Arthur, Jai - that he was as capable as he had been in the past.

He'd pushed on and on, pressing his luck with each decision, each mission. Annie had been with him all the way, and he'd enjoyed every minute of it. Until last night. Joan struck a nerve, saying he was on a slow path to Hell. And when she'd pointed out that his actions would eventually hurt Annie, he felt like he'd been punched in the gut.

And so, with a heavy heart, he had decided to cut his losses with Annie. It had all seemed so easy when he made the decision last night. After all, he and Annie may have grown close in the short time she was here, but it was just a friendship, right? And friendships come and go all the time.

"If that's so, Anderson," he murmured out loud to himself, "then why do you feel like your heart's breaking?"

He jumped slightly as he heard the door slide open. A familiar click-click of stilettos entered the room. Startled out of his reverie, he sat up straighter in his chair and turned to her.

"Hey, ready to get to work? Or has Jai talked Joan into letting you be his date for the evening?"

"No, why do you think he -" Annie sighed and walked over to the desk where the transmitters were laid out. "So this is how it's going to be now, huh, Auggie?"

"What do you mean?" 

"You don't want to work with me anymore, so you're playing Cupid to the one man that I assured you I had no interest in."

"I'm not -"

"Yes, you are!" Annie said sharply, turning to him. "For your information, Jai was asking my opinion about a girl he was interested in up on the seventh floor. He had asked her out, and wanted to know if I had seen a movie he was going to take her to see."

"Then he's not interested in you? I thought -" Auggie's voice trailed off, as an odd sense of relief washed over him.

"He was being my friend, asking my opinion, as friends do sometimes. Friends don't dictate to each other and make ultimatums and one-sided decisions for their own benefit."

Auggie stood and turned to Annie. They were only a couple feet apart, but her anger and coldness made it seem like she was across the room. "Annie, please try to understand. What I'm doing is best for you. My actions have been too reckless lately, and I can't assure you that they won't happen again. I'm just looking out for your well-being."

"MY well-being?" Annie replied. "I can look out for myself, August Anderson, just like I've been doing all my life. I don't need a babysitter. What I need is you, a partner who can watch my back."

"But that's just it, Annie," Auggie said with a wry smile. "I can't 'watch' your back, now can I?"

"That's not what I meant, and you know it! How dare you! How dare you presume to know what's good for me and what's not? I've counted on you to be there for me, and you've never let me down, not once!"

Auggie took a ragged deep breath and ran a hand over his face. "But what if I do, Annie? What if I get it in my head that I want one last hurrah and follow you out on your missions again? What if -" he broke off.

"What?"

"I just don't want you to get hurt, Annie. Hurt or injured or maybe even killed because I talked you into letting me tag along. If I knew that my recklessness or inability to 'watch your back' caused you to come to harm, I -" Auggie's voice broke.

He felt her smooth hands come to his face, and he grasped them with his own, savoring the caress before pulling them down to his chest.

"Auggie, you know as well as I that every given day, our lives are put in danger, that one of us may not come back from a mission, and we accept that fate. We do good work here. YOU do good work."

"But Annie -"

"No buts. You may call your behavior reckless, but I would call it something else. Bravery."

"Hardly," Auggie scoffed.

"Do you think any one of those agents out there would have come back if they endured what you did?"

"What are you -"

"I know they wouldn't. I don't think I would, either. But YOU did, Auggie. That's what I love so much about you. You get up every day and live your life to the fullest. You're full of energy and wonder, and -"

Auggie pulled at Annie's hands, causing her to take a step forward. "What did you say?"

"Auggie, please. I'm trying to tell you that it doesn't matter if you're in the field or in here behind your desk, you're a great asset to the agency."

"You said you loved me," Auggie whispered.

"Did I?"

"Yes, you did," Auggie said, hesitantly reaching a hand toward her face, which was so close to his that he could feel her breath. "Did you mean it?"

"You're my best friend, Auggie."

"Annie, did you mean it? Do you love me?" Auggie asked, fingertips gently touching Annie's cheek.

"Auggie, when you left me last night, I felt like you ripped off my left arm. I couldn't believe that you would abandon me like that."

"Annie, do you love me?" Auggie persisted.

He felt her take a deep breath and exhale slowly, and her head dipped down. Trailing his fingers down to her chin, he lifted her head back up. "Annie?"

"Yes."

Auggie shut his eyes at the whispered answer. A feeling akin to an electric shock shot across his chest. "Annie, I -"

"No, don't," she said, and he felt a finger on his lips, silencing him. "Don't feel that you have to reciprocate my feelings. Just tell me that you won't abandon me ever again. You are the best friend I've ever had, Auggie. I can't - I won't let you go."

Grasping Annie's hand from his lips, Auggie turned it and placed a kiss on her palm. "But I do love you, Annie. I didn't realize it until last night and didn't let myself believe it until a few seconds ago."

Releasing Annie's hand, Auggie reached out until he found her cheek again. Bringing his other hand up, he cradled her face gently, running his thumb along her bottom lip. Still not believing what was happening, he lowered his head until his lips touched hers. She was the sweetest thing he'd ever tasted, and as he heard a low moan, he deepened the kiss, folding her in his arms.

A not-so-subtle "Ahem" broke them apart.

"While I am glad you two have, shall we say, cleared up your misunderstanding, I have to remind you, Auggie, that your office walls are glass," Joan said. "And we do have a mission tonight."

"Sorry, Joan," Auggie said, trying not to smile.

"Uh-huh," Joan replied before leaving, sliding the door shut behind her.

"So what do you say, partner? Should we get to work?" Auggie asked, squeezing Annie's shoulder.

"Absolutely."

THE END


	6. Anne Walker

Title: Anne Walker

Category: TV Shows » Covert Affairs

Author: Beth - Geek Chick

Language: English, Rating: Rated: T

Genre: Adventure/Romance

Published: 08-16-10, Updated: 09-06-10

Chapters: 5, Words: 9,715

Chapter 1

Two mourning doves, a baby stroller, and one jogger. Auggie sat on the park bench in the park alone, enjoying the tech-less Sunday afternoon. True, he used this park bench before, keeping an eye on Diego for Annie, but not many people knew he often came here on the weekends. Being surrounded by computers all day, his own sensors got fried sometimes, and freeing himself from it on an odd afternoon relaxed him.

That's where Ben Mercer found him.

This particular June day was warmer than most, and Auggie was listening to his surroundings, trying to pinpoint different sounds. A simple mental exercise that kept his senses keenly alert. That coupled with a heightened sense of smell made the game easy. However, on days like these, when the groundsmen had just that morning cut the grass on the soccer field, his nose was full of its fresh, clean scent. Because of this, he hadn't realized he wasn't alone until the bench creaked beside him.

Pulled out of his reverie, he sighed, unfolded his white cane and stood.

"August Anderson."

Auggie froze at the unfamiliar male voice. "Do I know you?"

"We have a mutual friend."

Auggie stayed silent, every well-trained CIA agent nerve on alert. The fact that a stranger had effectively snuck up on him unnerved him, and he was in full fight or flight mode. When he didn't speak, the man spoke again, just two words this time.

"Anne Walker."

Auggie inhaled deeply, the hair on the back of his neck stood up. "What about her?"

"We were close, although we haven't seen each other for a few years."

Slowly, every nerve jangling, Auggie sat back down, turning his senses to the man on his right.

"Who are you?"

"Before I tell you that, you should know that I am armed, and I know you aren't. Given your profession, I know you could put up a hell of a fight, but I'm not here for a confrontation."

"Understood," Auggie replied with more calmness than he felt. Folding his cane again, he slipped it inside his messenger bag, and quickly, while his hand was in the bag, pressed two buttons on his CIA-issued cellphone. He closed the bag again and leaned back on the bench.

"Who are you?" he repeated, emphatically.

"My name is Ben Mercer."

Auggie's jaw clenched. Ever since Annie had told him why she joined the CIA that night in the tavern, he'd wanted to know what kind of man would break her spirit and heart so easily. He wasn't particularly proud of his tactics, but a few smiles and the promise of a date with a girl in Personnel got him access to Annie Walker's file. Though she wasn't entirely forthcoming during her polygraph and Psych evaluation, she did give a name. Ben Mercer.

"I've seen you with her before. Here, on assignment, presumably. You seemed very close." Ben Mercer stood, and Auggie followed him.

"Annie and I are friends," Auggie replied emphatically, wondering where this man was going with this line of questioning.

With a light laugh, Ben Mercer continued, "Unfortunately, you don't see how she looks at you. More's the pity."

Auggie had had enough. The last thing he needed was Annie's ex making jibes at his expense. Plus, his knowledge of his and Annie's real jobs raised his suspicions to red alert. He removed his cane from his bag once again.

"Stay away from Annie," he said harshly, turning away.

"She's in danger."

Auggie stopped. "Call 911." He began to walk away again.

Ben Mercer moved to block Auggie's departure. "I'm telling you because she's going to need protection, and from what I've seen, you would lay down your life for hers."

Lowering his head, Auggie fought the anger boiling up in him. Yes, he would lay down his life for Annie's. She had become one of his best friends, and this man had no right to her, not anymore.

He heard Ben Mercer start to walk away. "If you care anything about her, which I know you do, listen to me. Protect her."

"From what?"

He received no reply. Ben Mercer had disappeared.

Chapter 2

Sitting back down on the bench, Auggie quickly pulled out his cellphone and punched a few more numbers. A Blackberry on the outside to some, it housed a few extras that didn't come standard. Like a high-end audio recorder. Hooking his Bluetooth to his ear, he played back the conversation. Although the device was inside his bag at the time, and they were out in the open, it was clear enough.

He then made a phone call. Annie answered on the third ring.

Annie was in the middle of toweling off after a post-run shower when she heard her cell ring. Walking out of her steamy bathroom, she found it on her dresser. "Hello?"

"Yeah, Annie, it's me," Auggie said, forcing lightness into his voice. "You busy?"

Cradling the phone against her shoulder, Annie grabbed another towel and began drying her hair. "Not really. Just got done with a shower. The treadmill really kicked my ass today. Why do you ask?"

"How about joining me for dinner?"

"Sure, got any place in mind?"

"Thought I'd stay in for the night and order some takeout. Are you up for some pizza and wine?"

"Sounds great, give me an hour, and I'll be there. Tell you what, I'll pick it up on the way over."

"Thanks. Remember, no anchovies."

"And extra cheese, I know. Be there in a bit."

Auggie hung up his phone with a decided click. An hour. Every fiber of his being wanted to rush to Annie's side, but he needed some answers first. He began to quickly walk home, simultaneously dialing another number on the Blackberry.

"Tom? Hey, it's Auggie. Listen, remember that favor you owed me? I'm cashing it in now. I'm about to upload to you an audio file. Subject's name is Ben Mercer. I need you to analyze the voice and make a positive identification. Contact me when you get something."

As he walked home, white cane steadily tapping out a staccato beat, Auggie went over in his mind everything he had learned about Annie Walker from the stolen file, and what she herself had told him. She met him in Sri Lanka, and it was a whirlwind affair. She had thought them in love, the happily-ever-after type, and one morning she woke alone to find a good-bye note on his pillow. She said his name was Ben Mercer, and presumably bought his back story of a rich adventurer trying to find his place in the world.

But, Auggie now thought, what rich young adventurer carries a gun and has detailed knowledge of her life? Nobody outside the agency knew of Annie's job, yet this man had obviously been following her. And him.

Reaching his house, Auggie let himself in. He checked his watch. He had about 30 minutes before she arrived. He got her here, now all he had to do was convince her to stay the night. With Ben Mercer on her tail and his, there's no way he would let her leave his side. Swallowing hard, he knew what needed to be done. Hopefully, Annie wouldn't hate him too much when it was over.

Pulling a fresh white tee out of his drawer, Auggie heard the doorbell ring. Throwing it over his shoulder, he made his way to the door. "Who is it?"

"Auggie, it's me, open up, pizza's getting cold."

Balancing the large box on one hand, Annie leaned against the doorframe. A flippant remark about keeping her waiting died on her lips as the door opened, and Auggie came within her sight. Naked from the waist up, he had obviously just showered. A pair of black running shorts covered his hips and legs to his knees. As her eyes traveled over his body, their previous sparring in the gym came to mind. He had on the same shorts, but his shirt had covered his chest and arms. Looking at him now, she felt her mouth go dry. He may be lean, but it was all muscle. She fought the urge to run her hand across his abs. "I - uhh, did I interrupt something?"

Auggie smiled. Given her sudden case of the stutters and high-pitched tone, his appearance affected her. "No, actually, I was out in the park today, and they were cutting the grass on the soccer field. I could still smell it when I got home, so I took a shower."

Taking a deep breath to clear the unexpected salacious thoughts out of her head, Annie walked into the house. "Kitchen?"

Shutting the door, Auggie replied, "Down the hall. Come to think of it, I guess you haven't had the grand tour. Let me show you around."

Auggie pulled his tee over his head and led Annie down the hall, his hand settling at the small of her back.

One empty bottle of wine and an empty pizza box later, Annie and Auggie found themselves sitting on the hardwood floor with their backs against the couch. Auggie put on some jazz music, and Annie sat at his side reading aloud. She had found an impressive collection of books on a bookshelf in his hallway and was surprised to find text volumes along with Braille. He may have embraced his new lifestyle, she had thought, but he kept a firm grasp on his past. One title had caught her attention.

Sated with good food and even better wine, Auggie listened to Annie reading Thoreau aloud to him. "Walden" was a leftover of his university days, and he hadn't even realized it was still on his shelf. Annie, however, said it was one of her favorites 'cause, being an Army brat, she had been surrounded by the starkness of military bases growing up. Thoreau's world of living alone in a quiet forest appealed to her.

As her voice glided over him, he lifted his arm and laid it across her shoulders. Lazily, his fingers moved back and forth over her bare skin.

Feeling Auggie's fingers tracing finger eights over her shoulder, Annie's voice faltered. A warmth spread down her spine, and she leaned back into his light embrace. Slowly closing the book, Annie looked up at him. He seemed to be lost in thought, and though his countenance was peaceful, she detected a slight clench to his jaw. "It's getting late. Maybe I should head home."

Auggie's arm tightened around her. Leaning his head down toward her, he brushed a slow kiss against her forehead. "I can't let you do that," he breathed into her hair.

"Auggie, please," Annie whispered, feeling again a delicious shiver at his touch. Though her body yearned for his touch, she couldn't let herself get involved with her best friend. "Don't -"

"Shh, it's late, and you've drank way too much wine to drive safely. We're not due in the office until late tomorrow morning, which gives you enough time to go home and change."

Auggie pressed a light kiss to her cheek before he stood, holding his hand out to her. When Annie hesitated taking it, Auggie knelt again before her, "Don't worry," he whispered. "I'm too much of a gentleman to take advantage. You can take the bed. I'll sleep on the couch."

After ensuring that Annie was sleeping soundly, Auggie felt almost guilty as he threw the pizza box away and set the empty wine bottle on the kitchen counter. He had wanted to gain Annie's trust enough so that she would stay the night, but intentionally getting her drunk still stuck in his craw. Still, he told himself, it worked. She was safe here, with him, where she was going to stay until he got some answers.

Damn it, Tom, he thought, what is taking you so long? How difficult was it to perform a simple search?

His answer came soon enough, when his cellphone rang. "Tom, it's about damn time."

"Auggie, it's Joan. Tell me Annie's with you."

"Joan? What the -"

"Auggie, I'm calling because your surreptitious search for Ben Mercer triggered a red alert. I was automatically contacted, and before you explain how you know about this man, tell me. Is Annie with you?"

"Yes, Joan, she's here, sleeping. But what -"

"Good, keep her there. Now, explain to me why you were having your tech ops buddy run a search on Ben Mercer."

"He contacted me, while I was in the park. He told me that Annie was in danger, and that he was armed. Given the fact that he as much as threatened me, I thought her ex-boyfriend was just stalking her. I just wanted Tom to run a search to see how much of a threat he was."

"Auggie, you haven't told Annie about seeing him, have you?"

"No, of course not."

"Good, I want you to keep it that way. I can't tell you everything now, Auggie, but Ben Mercer is much more than a jealous ex-boyfriend. He's dangerous. I'll fill both of you in tomorrow morning. Keep her safe."

Auggie clicked his cellphone shut. Anger boiled up in him. His suspicions had been right, and it was much worse than he thought. Quickly and quietly, he did a sweep of all the doors and windows in his apartment, ensuring the locks and setting the burglar alarm. After making sure they were secure, Auggie walked to his bedroom.

Making as little noise as possible, he climbed into his bed, being careful not to touch Annie as she slept. Unfortunately, his weight dipping into the mattress roused her. "Auggie?"

"Shh, go back to sleep," Auggie whispered, pulling the blanket more over her.

Annie, half-asleep, sighed and slid over to him. "I was dreaming someone was chasing me."

"Shh, don't worry. I've got you." Auggie wrapped his arms around her and stroked her hair until she fell back asleep.

Chapter 3

The next morning, Auggie woke early. Annie had dozed peacefully after he had climbed into bed with her, and after a while he had, too. Waking up in her arms, he felt such a sense of peace that, for a moment, he believed this all was real. The moment faded as the memory of what Joan had said came to him.

He hoped she wouldn't be too upset that he had broken his promise to sleep on the couch, but once he heard about Ben's potential danger to Annie, he had to make sure she was within arm's distance. Hearing her soft, even breathing, he quietly slipped out of bed and walked into the bathroom.

After showering and dressing, he re-entered the bedroom. Walking to the side of the bed, he reached out and felt for her shoulder, gently shaking her awake. "Annie? I've made coffee, if you want some. You've got about an hour before we're due in the office."

Walking into the DPD arm-in-arm with Auggie about five minutes late, Annie wasn't surprised to see Joan standing beside her desk. Her boss wasn't too crazy about tardiness, and by the stern look on her face, Annie braced herself for a tongue-lashing.

"Ooh, Joan doesn't seem too happy with me," Annie whispered to Auggie. "Why don't you duck into ops? No reason we should both be reprimanded."

Auggie didn't answer, and with a quickened step, headed toward Annie's desk.

"Good morning," Joan greeted them. "I've been waiting for you. Would you both join me in the conference room?"

"Of course," Annie replied.

As soon as the door closed, Joan started speaking, "Annie, have a seat, please. I want you to listen to something." Joan pressed a key on her laptop.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Ben Mercer."

Annie let out an audible gasp. She hadn't heard that voice for three years, and the rough timbre of it still send shivers down her spine.

"I've seen you with her before. Here, on assignment, presumably. You seemed very close."

"Annie and I are friends."

"Unfortunately, you don't see how she looks at you. More's the pity."

"Stay away from Annie."

"She's in danger."

"Call 911."

"I'm telling you because she's going to need protection, and from what I've seen, you would lay down your life for hers."

"If you care anything about her, which I know you do, listen to me. Protect her."

"From what?"

Joan stopped the playback. "This recording was made yesterday afternoon by Auggie in the park. A man identifying himself as Ben Mercer approached him, said he was armed, an acquaintance of yours, and that you're in danger. Voice recognition software has positively identified him. I take it you recognize the voice, but here's a picture, as well."

Joan turned the laptop around to Annie, "My God. Ben? He - he was the man I told you about, Auggie, the one who left me in Sri Lanka. I haven't seen or heard from him since then. Why - why is he here now?"

"Annie, before I tell you what we know, please know that I was totally against keeping you in the dark about this. Arthur made the decision to not fill you in on Ben Mercer's background or activities. He and Jai were hoping that by keeping you active in the field, Mercer would show."

Confusion swirling around her, Annie tried to make sense of what Joan was saying. "Wait a minute. What are you telling me? Ben is a criminal of some sort? And you've been using me for bait?"

"We never believed you to be in danger, and every time you've been in the field, you've had back-up. You were never at risk."

"But why are you after Ben? And why did he approach Auggie?" Turning to him, Annie felt her cheeks get hot. "Auggie, did you know about this? Why didn't you tell me?" Annie's tears threatened to spill out of her eyes, as she realized her new friends and workmates had been conspiring against her.

"Annie -" Joan interrupted.

"No, Joan, let me," Auggie said, leaning over and feeling for her hand. "Annie, I knew nothing about this man other than what you told me until yesterday. As soon as he intimated that he knew of your and my involvement in the CIA, I started recording the conversation. I called a tech buddy of mine to analyze the voice and verify his identity. It wasn't until Joan called last night that I found out how dangerous he was."

"Last night? You mean, while we were - the wine and - all that was just a setup?" A tear spilled over and down her cheek, and Annie pulled her hand out of Auggie's grasp.

"No, you don't understand. When I -" Auggie turned to Joan, "Would you excuse us for a minute, please?"

Nodding, Joan stood up and left the room.

"Annie, I'm sorry. You have every right to hate me, but all I cared for was your safety. That man, Ben Mercer, threatened you. I needed to keep you near."

"So your brilliant decision was to get me drunk and try to seduce me? Do you really think I'm that shallow?"

"No, of course not! I -" The words died in Auggie's throat. My God, he thought, she does hate me.

"Where's Joan?" Annie asked, wiping her chees and standing up. She walked to the door and opened it to find Joan and Jai waiting. "Jai Wilcox, I understand you and Arthur have been keeping a few secrets. And here I thought you wanted to be my friend."

"Annie, now is not the time for histrionics," Joan said firmly, walking in with Jai and firmly shutting the door. "Ben Mercer has played his card, and now we have to figure out what to do with you. Auggie, he said Annie's going to need protection from someone, right? For him to come out of hiding after so many years, it's got to be something real and immediate."

Jai spoke then, "We need to keep you under surveillance, but we can't do anything too out of the ordinary if we're to lure this danger out."

"Great," Annie said, frowning, "I'm to be bait again."

"It's the only way, Annie," Jai said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "We'll neutralize the danger, and if possible, catch Ben Mercer in our web, as well."

Shrugging Jai's hand off, Annie sat back down next to Auggie, who sat with his face in his hands.

"I'm not going anywhere until you tell me why you want Ben so bad. I'll wait for an apology when this is all over," she directed toward Jai.

Joan spoke, "Annie, I hate to be the one to tell you this, but -"

"Joan!" Jai said sharply.

"I know, Jai, but Ben has forced our hand. She has to be told at least some of it. Annie, Jai's right. This information is high level secret, and I cannot tell you everything. Ben Mercer is - was one of our top agents before he went rogue four years ago. No one's been able to find him, but he's been seen. We don't know which side he's on, Annie, and until we know that, we have to assume it's not ours."

Annie took all this in silently, and with a look of resignation, lifted her head to Joan, "Ben said I was in danger, that I needed protection. What do you think he meant by that?"

"Who knows? It may be someone he's seen following you, or he may be playing all of us to get close to you again. Until we do know that, we have to assume the worst. You are to take a few days off, but I don't want you alone," Joan stood and walked over to Annie.

"We may have been wrong not telling you what we knew about Ben, Annie, but please trust us now."

Annie nodded. "If you don't want me alone, then what? A safe house?"

Jai spoke up then, "No, you need to go about your life as normal."

"But I can't stay at my place. My sister and her family - if something does go down, I don't want them getting hurt."

Auggie spoke up then, "She can stay with me."

"No, I don't think -" Annie started to say.

"Auggie, that's perfect. Annie's already spent time there, and if this man has been following her, he'll see it as part of her routine. Jai, get a team of agents for round-the-clock surveillance. Annie, pack a bag."

When Jai and Joan left the conference room, Annie turned to Auggie. "I thought you were my friend, Auggie."

"I am, and again, I'm sorry," Auggie reached for her, and finding her hands, grasped them tightly. "Listen, Annie, when I woke up this morning, and you were in my arms, I felt -"

"I don't want to hear it," Annie interrupted, pulling out of his grasp and standing.

Laughing, she accused, "I guess that was part of your seduction routine, as well, huh? Kiss a girl, promise her you'll sleep on the couch, and then crawl between the sheets when she's asleep?"

"No! Annie, you're completely misunderstanding here. Joan called AFTER you had went to bed. The only reason I crawled in beside you was to keep -"

"I don't want to hear anymore. Obviously, everybody's been lying to me since I got here, apparently, and after this is done, I'm not sure I want to stay."

"Annie, you don't mean that," Auggie said, standing and reaching for her again.

"I have to go home and pack a bag. I'll be back in an hour."

Pulling up in front of Auggie's house that night, Annie parked and got out. Not waiting for Auggie to get out the passenger side, she popped the trunk and retrieved her bag. She couldn't believe Auggie had betrayed her. He had said he was just being a friend, but wouldn't a friend have just told her the truth? Tears threatened behind her eyes again, and she shook them away.

Auggie got out of the car and made his way up to his house. Annie hadn't spoken more than two words to him since the conference room, and he couldn't blame her. His grand plan of keeping her safe backfired, and now she probably hated him. He wasn't sure what he would do if she followed through with her promise to leave once this was over.

"You can have the bedroom, I'll stay out here," Auggie said, flipping on the lights and setting his messenger bag and coat on the couch.

"No," Annie replied. "I'll be comfortable enough out here. I have no want to revisit last night."

"Annie, please."

Grabbing her toiletry kit out of her bag, Annie headed to the bathroom. "I'm going to put my stuff on the right side of the sink, hope that won't disturb your orderliness."

Auggie sat down on the couch and turned on the television. The weather channel, good choice for his mood. Getting up, he made his way to the kitchen to fix them supper.

They ate in the living room in silence. Any attempt Auggie made at conversation was greeted with a one or two-word answer. Soon he gave up, and said good night, handing her a blanket from the hall closet. As he handed it to her, he could swear her say softly, "Thank you, Auggie."

"You're welcome."

Outside, a black car parked across the street. Jai Wilcox took it upon himself to take the first surveillance shift. He had been after Ben Mercer for years, and had a personal vendetta against the man. To catch him would make his father very proud, and would perhaps lead to a promotion. Sipping from his coffee mug, he settled in for a long wait.

Further along the street, another car pulled up to the curb.

Chapter 4

Annie laid on the couch and pulled the blanket over her shoulder, trying to gain some comfort on the hard couch. Laying her head on the pillow Auggie gave her from his bed, she sighed. Auggie's distinctive scent still clung to it.

She kept telling herself her anger towards him was warranted, but the shock of this morning's events had worn off, and all she felt now was exhaustion, sadness and regret. The people she thought she could trust had kept things from her, had known her past and didn't trust her enough to share that information with her. Even Auggie.

A soft sob escaped her lips, and she squeezed her eyes shut, fighting back a fresh spate of tears. Even Auggie, the one person at the DPD she trusted, had kept things from her. True, his betrayal wasn't as severe as Joan or Jai's, or even Arthur's, but still. Not 24 hours ago, they were here, in this very room, laughing, drinking, and growing closer than ever before. She had read to him one of her favorite books, and he listened quietly. When he wrapped his arm around her and caressed her shoulder, she had felt a warmth she hadn't felt in years spread throughout her body.

Auggie had never touched her like that before, and when he kissed her softly on her forehead, she yearned for almost gave in, and even reached her lips up to him, but had ultimately held back. Settling into his bed alone, sleep had come quickly as the effect of the wine took its toll. Then the dream came, the all-too-familiar one. A shadowy, scary figure running after her, and no matter how fast she tried to get away, he was always there, on her heels.

Auggie had come to her then, as she woke from the dream. As she turned and pressed against his warm body, a sense of peace washed over her. His arms had wrapped around her, and his hands stroked her hair, soothing her as she fell back asleep.

Now, as she lay on his couch, alone, the memory of that feeling relaxed her. If she did have to leave, she thought, it would be with at least one happy memory.

Auggie sat on the end of his bed, thinking. He tried to tell himself that his priority right now was keeping Annie safe, but he kept hearing her words in the conference room.

"So your brilliant decision was to get me drunk and try to seduce me? Do you really think I'm that shallow? Obviously, everybody's been lying to me since I got here, apparently, and after this is done, I'm not sure I want to stay." Hopefully those were words said in anger, and she would reconsider, but deep down, Auggie knew his actions had hurt her. Why hadn't he told her about Ben when she came over? Before the question was out, he knew the answer. She had never gotten over him, he knew. Even today, when she heard Ben's voice on the recording, the gasp she uttered said it all.

A wave of jealousy that had hit him yesterday in the park washed over him again. He didn't want Ben anywhere near Annie, and not just because he posed a risk. Auggie wanted Annie for himself. That fact became all the more clear to him during his first moments of wakefulness that morning. Warmth and peace, like nothing bad could ever happen if he stayed right where he was. He'd never felt that happy in his life, and had tried to hold onto the bliss, but the reality of the situation set in.

Standing, he made his way over to the dresser. He was pulling out a pair of pajamas when he heard a thump. A small sound, something almost imperceptible, but unfamiliar. Stilling himself, he listened intently. It came again, louder, from the living room.

"Annie?" he whispered. "Is that you? Do you need something?" He felt his way down the hall, "Annie?"

Something wasn't right. Auggie stilled himself and listened. No outside noise permeated the room. He heard someone breathing - Annie, yet it wasn't the calm breath of someone sleeping. It was quick and mixed with it was a slight moan.

Inhaling silently, Auggie caught the fading scent of pizza, Annie's perfume, and something else, something that didn't belong. Someone else was here - it was male, and stunk of sweat and desperation. His first instinct was to shout out for Annie, but he stopped himself, not sure enough yet of the situation.

He took another step towards the couch and Annie, and felt a rush of air past him and heavy footfalls. As he turned, striking out with his arm, he was grabbed from behind. A thick, muscled arm latched onto his neck and immediately began to squeeze. He tried to slide his hands under the arm to pull it away from his neck, but the man squeezed even tighter.

"Stop resisting," a voice growled above his ear.

Auggie pulled his hands away, and the arm relaxed, allowing him to breathe easier, but it still held a deathgrip on him. He took a slight step backward, trying to gauge the build of the man and found he was outmatched, as he had half a foot on him, and given the size of his arm, outweighed him, as well.

Dragging a breath, he choked out, "Annie."

"Here, Auggie," came her voice from the couch. "I'm okay."

"And she will stay that way unless you let that fake hero out again," the voice growled again. Auggie's anger clenched, and he swung an elbow straight back and caught his attacked in the side. A pained grunt followed, and the arm clenched again. Auggie tried to take a breath, but found his throat being closed. He also was getting dizzy as the blood supply to his brain was being constricted.

"Okay, okay," he managed to croak out. The arm relaxed again, and Auggie took a deep breath. "Who are you?"

"That is of no concern of yours, as you are not my target tonight."

"If you hurt Annie, you won't be walking out of here," Auggie threatened, tensing once again. "Where is she?"

"Your woman is not harmed, and you will both stay that way if you listen."

Pulling the man's arm away from his throat a fraction, Auggie yelled out, "Annie, where are you? Are you hurt?"

"Don't worry," the voice answered again. "Your girlfriend is alive, and if she doesn't stop trying to untie herself, she will stay that way."

"What do you want from me?" Auggie growled.

"From you? Nothing."

"You're after me, aren't you? You've been trailing me," Annie said from her position on the couch, arms tied behind her back.

"Good guess, but slightly off the mark. Who I am after is a man named Ben Mercer. I have been hired to hunt down and retrieve this man. The bounty on his head has made the hunt worthwhile, but three years is a long time for such a hunt. It ends tonight."

"If Ben is who you want, then he is the one you should be assaulting. What do you need from us?" Annie said, trying to slip one of her hands out of the cutting ties.

The assailant, arm still firmly around Auggie's neck, stepped closer to the couch, his eyes boring into Annie's. "Three years ago, Ben Mercer, under the guise of an American federal agent, found incriminating documents belonging to my employer in Sri Lanka. Instead of turning them over to the government and arresting him, Mercer realized how much they were worth and disappeared."

"But that doesn't explain -" Annie's voice trailed off as the memory of their last night together played over in her mind. After they had made love, he said he needed to go out for a while. She never saw him again.

The assailant continued, "We followed him, but he disappeared too quickly. We found out he was staying with a woman named Anne Walker. We tried to find her, too, thinking no man would leave his lover behind, but soon enough, she, too, disappeared. Until now. Who would have thought that the same Anne Walker had herself become a government agent? The coincidence is far too great. You know where he is, and you will tell me. Now."

"I haven't seen him since that night, I swear. I had no idea he was an agent, or a thief -"

"You lie!" he spat out, squeezing Auggie's neck even more.

"Please, stop!" Annie cried. "Auggie!"

The assailant threw Auggie roughly to the ground, where he gasped for air, clutching his throat. As he tried to regain his balance and stand, a boot connected to his ribs, and he collapsed on the floor. Another boot struck him in the face, and he curled up, coughing as he tried to breathe. He could feel himself slipping again toward unconsciousness.

Annie finally forced her hand free of the binds, wincing as it cut into her skin. She launched herself off the couch and toward the two men, throwing herself on Auggie's body.

Throwing up a defensive arm to the man, she screamed, "Stop! You'll kill him!"

"Tell me where to find Ben Mercer, or I will," he growled, advancing on them.

"I told you, I don't know where he is, but -" Annie's mind raced. She'd never be able to fight the man, she knew, but all - all he wanted was information, right? Looking down at Auggie's beaten body, she knew she had to do something fast. "If you want him, you can use me to find him."

"Annie, no!" Auggie gasped weakly, reaching up to grasp her arm. Annie looked down at him. The kick to his face had opened a gash on his forehead, and blood was seeping down into his hair. His throat glared bright red. She laid a hand on his cheek, allowing herself a caress before turning back to their assailant.

"Leave Auggie alone, and I'll go with you," Annie said.

Grabbing her arm roughly, the assailant pulled her up. "If you are lying to me, I will come back and finish the job."

"Annie!" Auggie groaned from the floor. "Don't!" With a rush of adrenaline-fueled anger, Auggie stood and pulled Annie away from their attacker and launched a kick to the man's stomach.

Any further retaliation was stopped by a sudden and ear-splitting crash. Auggie threw his arms around Annie, and they both fell to the floor as wood splinters from the front door flew everywhere.

Landing on her lacerated hand from the binding, Annie screamed with pain.

"Anne!"

A voice she hadn't heard in a long time shouted out for her. Holding her hand to her chest, she backed up to the wall, using the other one to hold Auggie's arm, which was still tight around her.

Looking up, she saw him. Ben, who was standing now in front of their assailant. "Let them be, Hugo. I'm the one you want."

"Ben? Where did you - Why -"

"Just stay there, Anne," Ben said, holding both hands up to Hugo.

"Nice entrance, Mr. Mercer. It is good that I found you alive. The bounty is worth twice more if you are delivered with a pulse."

"Whatever you want, Hugo. If you wanted me, you should have came after me. Or do you just get your kicks beating up women and blind guys?"

"My methods may be unorthodox, but they are effective. I have found you, and I am about to become a very rich man." Hugo advanced on Ben, who was slowly backing up.

"Oh, I wouldn't say that. Hugo, wasn't it?" came a smooth voice from the crashed doorway. "Prisons don't pay very well for labor."

Looking around the huge man, Annie saw Jai Wilcox and two heavily armed men walk in, weapons pointed directly at the large man. She watched with a mix of horror and shock as Hugo was forcibly wrestled to the floor and handcuffed. It took all three of them to subdue him, and he screamed bloody oaths against them all as he was led away. A groan to her left brought her attention back to Auggie.

The cut Hugo's boot opened on his forehead was bleeding. "Oh, my God, Auggie. Don't worry, I'll get something to stop the bleeding." Grabbing the pillow off the couch, she peeled the slipcover off and held it against his head. Tears flowed down her cheek in silent catharsis, "Auggie, I'm so, so sorry."

Holding the material against his head, Auggie raised the other hand toward Annie's face. He felt her cheek was wet, and he wiped away the tears gently. "Are you really okay?"

"Yes. Well, no, I cut my hand getting the binding off, but it's nothing. It's all over now, though." Leaning back against the wall, she wrapped her arms around him as the shock wore off.

"Some protection I was," Auggie whispered in her ear.

"Don't blame yourself. I was asleep when he came in and on me before I could shout," Annie said, stroking his smooth back. "I thought he was going to kill you."

"Shh, it's all over now," he whispered, pressing a kiss against her forehead and enfolding her in his arms.

Once Hugo was led out, Jai Wilcox walked to Ben. "Good work, Mercer. You know, you could have ran."

"No, I couldn't have," Ben said quietly, his eyes on his former lover who was now in the embrace of another man. "I had to make sure she was okay."

"And even though the CIA is grateful for your help, you yourself are a wanted man. You're going to have to come to headquarters." Turning away from the couple, Ben put his arms behind his back silently for Jai to handcuff him.

"Annie?" Jai asked. "As soon as both of you are checked out, you'll have to come to the office, as well."

Not bothering to look up, Annie nodded. As the room became quiet once again,

Annie took a shuddering deep breath. Releasing Auggie, she took the cloth from where it fell on the floor and wiped blood from his head. His eyes were closed during her ministration, and she bent to brush a soft kiss against his eyelid.

"Auggie? We have to go. You'll probably need stitches, and my hand needs wrapped."

Nodding, Auggie allowed Annie to help him stand. "Annie, wait," he said as she wrapped her arm around his waist and started walking toward the door. "Be - before we go, about what you said yesterday, about leaving..."

"Shh, Auggie," Annie said, putting her fingers to his lips. "We'll talk about it later. Right now, you need medical help."

Auggie nodded and let her lead him through the shattered remains of his door.

Chapter 5

"I've lost her, haven't I?"

Jai Wilcox, who just entered the interrogation room, looked down at Ben Mercer. "What?"

"Anne. I've lost her."

"You lost her three years ago, buddy," Jai said matter-of-factedly, throwing a file down onto the table. "But you shouldn't be worrying about her. What I'm wondering, though, is why, after all this time, you should show up now." Jai sat down across from the shackled man.

Ben took a deep breath and let it out in a ragged sigh. "Come on, Jai. You caught me, fair and square. What more do you want?"

Jai smiled and leaned back in his chair. "Yes, we did catch you, and you are here, and you are in handcuffs, which means you are to answer my questions What we want to know is, why? And, you're not leaving here until you talk."

Leaning forward, Ben rested his head in his cuffed hands. "You know why, Jai. As soon as I got the info that Hugo and his men were after Anne, I had to warn her."

"And you did, but why go to Auggie?"

"He's blind, Jai," Ben said harshly. "He couldn't see me, obviously, and wouldn't be able to chase after me. I could deliver my message, in person so he knew it was real, and disappear into the background again."

"Efficient. Crude, but efficient," Jai said wryly. "So you gave your warning. We took it and had a plan in place. Why come back tonight?"

"After thinking it over, I realized I really didn't trust you guys," Ben smirked. "I hid down the road, just in case you couldn't finish the job."

"So you stormed the gates, huh? We were surrounding the place when you decided to run in, you know. You could have gotten shot."

"And here I am." Ben sighed in frustration. "Listen, whatever you're planning on doing with me, go ahead and do. I just have one request."

"You want to see Annie."

Ben nodded.

"No, Ben. She's moved on, and since you're the cause of all this mess, I doubt if she'll be in the mood for a 'chat.'"

"But -"

Ben was interrupted by the interrogation door opening. Annie walked in and nodded to Jai, who stood. "Annie, you shouldn't be here."

"Don't worry, I won't be staying long," Annie said quietly. Slowly, she walked around the table to Ben. She took in his shackled hands, his rumpled clothing and messy hair. His brilliant blue eyes stared up at her, pleading. She had once lost herself in those eyes, and spent many hours staring at his picture in the years after. Now, looking at him, all she could fell was revulsion and sadness.

"Anne, I'm so glad you're okay," Ben said, starting to stand. A sharp sound from Jai stayed his movement, and he sat back down again. "You should have never gotten pulled into this, and I tried my best to keep them away, but -"

Annie stared down at him and shook her head slightly. "You lied to me, from the beginning. And your actions - or should I say your inactions - nearly cost the life of me and the best friend I have ever had in this world. I have nothing to say to you."

She turned away and started walking towards the door.

"Anne! Please! I love you, don't you understand?" Ben pleaded, standing and walking over to her. Jai grabbed his arm, but he shook it off. "I was just trying to protect you!"

Annie stopped as she reached the door and turned again towards him. The anger she had trying so hard to keep covered began to rise. Taking a deep breath, she looked up at those wild blue eyes and something inside her snapped. Almost of its own accord, her right fist roiled up and swung around, planting itself in Ben's jaw. The impact stung her already lacerated skin.

Caught offguard by the attack, Ben fell back hard against the table, one hand clapped to his face. Jai jumped up and stood in front of Annie, blocking her from Ben. "Go, Annie. Now."

Breathing hard, clutching her wounded fist to her chest, Annie looked up at Jai, who stared down at her with a curious look - a mix of determinedness, shock, and respect. "Go," he whispered. "Auggie needs you now, don't worry about Ben."

After leaving the interrogation room, Annie was overcome with an almost overwhelming sense of relief. She leaned against the wall, feeling its cold hardness against her back. It was over. It all - everything - was over. The past two days had negated everything she'd believed in and trusted for three years. She almost wished she could turn back the clock and go back to that day - that fateful date - where she had met Ben and turned left down the road instead of turning right. They would have never met, and she'd still be living a simple, uncomplicated life. Perhaps she'd still be traveling. Maybe she could have met someone else, gotten married and had kids - lived the life her sister had, relatively normal.

But, she told herself, there's no use living in the "what ifs" and "maybes" of life. She had to keep moving forward, and, she thought, smiling slightly, that little bit of sudden violence against Ben was the first step. Straightening up from the cold, unfeeling wall, she walked back to the DPD, her footsteps echoing in the empty and dark halls.

As she opened the glass door to the DPD suite, she noticed one desk lamp on, hers. And a brown, wavy haired head lay on the desk, folded in his arms. His face was turned away from hers, so she couldn't tell if he was sleeping. She slowly walked over to him and placed a hand against his head, brushing the hair off his forehead where she saw a couple butterfly bandages covering the gash Hugo's boot had inflicted. The skin around it was raw and red, and she brushed her fingers over the wound.

The soft touch roused Auggie, and he started. Annie pulled her hand away from his head, "Sorry, Auggie. Were you sleeping?"

"No, not really. Just resting, waiting for you," Auggie said softly, straightening up slowly and grunting a bit from the pain of his bruised ribs. Reaching out, he felt for her. "How's your hand? You said it got cut?"

Annie winced as Auggie's hand grasped hers. A bandage covered the back of it where the ties had cut into her skin. And now her knuckles bore the reddening mark of her swing to Ben's jaw. Auggie's smooth fingers caressed the skin, and she gasped as he brought it up to his lips and placed a soft kiss on her palm.

"Just - just a scrape, really. And I'll probably have a couple bruised knuckles by morning," she said wryly.

"Bruised knuckles? Did you manage to get a swing in at Hugo while -"

"No, not Hugo. Ben, just now in interrogation."

"You punched Ben?" Auggie said unbelievingly. "I must say, I never liked the guy myself, but what happened? I thought you -"

"You thought wrong," Annie interrupted, pulling her hand from his. Turning, she lifted herself up and sat on her desk, facing him. "Auggie, what I said earlier today, in the conference room, I want you to know that I was extremely upset and, actually, in a bit of shock."

"I know, and I apologize, again, for not filling you in on everything."

"You were right not to. If you had told me two days ago, when Ben first approached you, I'm not sure what I would have done." Annie said. "Actually, that's a lie. I know exactly what I would have done."

"Go off on your own and try to find him," Auggie said quietly.

"And run straight into Hugo or one of the other men after me. But that didn't happen, did it?" Annie smiled, placing her uninjured hand on Auggie's. "You took control of the situation and kept me safe. Although your tactic of getting me too drunk to leave your place was slightly off-base, your motivation, I see now, has always been to keep me safe."

Annie took a deep breath and looked into the chocolate-brown eyes of Auggie, so different from the icy cold blue of Ben's. She saw worry, compassion, and hope in those depths. "I said I wasn't sure if I wanted to stay after all this was over, but now -" Annie hesitated.

"And now?" Auggie prompted, laying his other hand on top of hers.

"I don't know. I mean, with Ben now out of the picture, it seems Arthur's motivation for keeping me here is gone. That is the reason I was recruited, you know. Joan said it herself. Maybe they don't need me anymore."

"Annie, you're a great agent, and yes, maybe their initial reason for recruiting you was to get to Ben, but you've proved yourself one too many times for them to let you go now. Are you saying you want to stay?" Auggie said, his voice full of hope.

"Yes, I do. I've put a lot of effort into preparing for this job, and I'm good at it. But -" Annie paused and looked down at their enjoined hands. "Auggie, last night, when you climbed into the bed with me after my nightmare, I felt such a sense of -"

"Peace," Auggie finished her sentence, echoing her feelings with his own. "Like nothing bad could ever happen to you."

"Yes," Annie said quietly. "Auggie, I've never felt that before, and it scares me."

"Why would that scare you?"

"Because it's new and wonderful and terrifying, all at once. I don't want to lose you," Annie said, feeling tears build up behind her eyes. "And tonight, when I saw Hugo throw you to the ground and kick you -" She took a shuddering breath before continuing. "I thought he was going to kill you."

"But he didn't. You were able to stop him and stall him long enough for our cavalry to arrive," Auggie said, smiling. Standing, he pulled his hands from hers and placed them on her face. "You're not going to lose me, Annie. When I woke this morning in your arms, I came to a realization."

"And what's that?" Annie breathed, savoring the feeling of his cool fingers as they traced down her jaw.

"That I wanted to spend every morning and every night like that, with you in my arms." Auggie bent slowly toward her, using his fingers to guide himself to her lips, where he placed a gentle, insistent kiss. "I also came to realize," he whispered against her mouth, "that I had fallen in love with my best friend."

Placing his hands on Annie's shoulders, Auggie pulled her off the desk until she stood. Wrapping his arms around her back, he kissed her with more passion and groaned as she returned his kiss and swept her arms around his waist. Her embrace sent a shot of pain through his ribs, but given the situation, he would suffer through worse if it meant she'd be in his arms.

Reluctantly breaking away to drag a breath into her lungs, Annie laid her head on Auggie's shoulder. "I came to a similar realization a little while ago," she whispered. "In the interrogation room, I told Ben his lies nearly cost the life of the best friend I'd ever had in this world, and I never wanted to see him again."

Raising her head, she looked into Auggie's eyes, "He then shouted that he loved me and was trying to protect me. And - well, it was then that I punched him, but love like that I don't need. I want to be able to love someone who keeps me safe. Someone who I can rely on, no matter the situation, and someone I can trust."

"Annie," Auggie whispered, pressing a kiss to her lips again, "I would lay down my life for you, you know that."

"Yes, I do, and that's why I love you, Auggie," she said, smiling. "As terrifying and wonderful as those words are, they're true. And I never want to wake up without your arms around me ever again."

A joyous smile broke across Auggie's face. "Neither do I. But, given the state of my apartment, we may have to put off those plans."

"Nonsense," Annie said, extricating herself from his embrace. Taking his hand, she led them toward the doors. "You're coming home with me. It's my turn to take care of you."

THE END


	7. Broken

Title: Broken

Category: TV Shows » Covert Affairs

Author: Beth - Geek Chick

Language: English, Rating: Rated: T

Genre: Drama/Romance

Published: 01-18-11, Updated: 02-05-11

Chapters: 8, Words: 16,295

Chapter 1: Wounded veterans

_A/N I was watching Houses of the Holy again, episode 6, and got an idea about Auggie's buddies and their friendship. The blonde guy on the screen, who I'm guessing was Curtis, as listed in the imdb credits, intrigued me. I started to wonder about him and Auggie, and what'd happen if he returned from the desert, as broken as Auggie had been._

Curtis Lively brushed his finger across the brass of his jacket button, flicking off a nonexistent piece of dust. Even after months in the desert, when sand and dirt coated every surface, when he was in his dress blues, he was still a soldier, and a proud one at that, even if it was one of the last times he'd wear it.

Frowning, his left hand rubbed at his knee reflexively. He swore he could still feel his left foot, though he knew it wasn't there. Those few pieces of shrapnel had caused so much damage that the doctor thought it best to amputate a few inches below the knee. The stump now fit directly into a newly fitted orthopedic device that still allowed him to stand at attention and walk like a man. One thing it couldn't do was allow him to stay in active service. Honorable Discharge. Disabled Veteran. Decorated War Hero. All those titles might sound good and well, but he'd trade them all just to be a grunt again.

"Almost there, sir," the cab driver said over his shoulder, nodding through the windshield at the approaching stoplight.

"Yeah, good," Curtis said. At least, he thought, he'd be reuniting with someone who knew what it was like to be yanked out of what he loved, what he did best.

Annie Walker flipped the final folder closed and exhaled a deep breath. Done, finally. Who knew so much paperwork would be required for this kind of job? she thought. She'd love to have a job like Auggie's, completely digital, completely computer-based. Less chance of paper cuts.

Chuckling at her own small joke, she clicked off the light on her desk and was logging off her computer when she heard the door to Tech Ops open and Auggie's footsteps as he walked out. She looked up as he headed straight toward her desk, his face a mix of apprehension, excitement and - something else.

"Annie?" he asked as he approached her desk.

"Yeah, Auggie? I'm about to leave, so if you've got anymore work for me to do -"

"No, no, nothing like that," he said quickly. "Actually, I'm glad you're done for the day. I need to ask a favor."

Annie sat back in her chair, wondering at the energy bubbling off of him. "Sure, whatever you need."

"I need a ride."

Kind of a letdown, Annie thought. Given the fact he was nearly shaking with excitement, she expected something more life-changing. "You need a ride?"

"Yeah, you're not busy, are you? I'd call for car service, but since it's so late, it'll take forever for them to get here, and -"

"Okay, okay," Annie interrupted, standing and placing her hand on his shoulder, stopping the fast flow of words. "Just give me a second to grab my stuff. Any reason for the rush? Got a date you forgot about?" she teased.

"No, no, nothing like that," Auggie said. "Gotta be somewhere in half an hour, and I don't want to be late."

Annie picked up her jacket and brushed her hand up against his. When he slid his hand up to her elbow, she patted it once. "I'll give you a ride, but remember, you owe me one."

Auggie smiled, "I thought you already owed me a favor."

"Probably do," Annie laughed. "Maybe we should start writing these down."

Parking in one of the last spots available along the street, Annie said, "We're here. Mike's Bar, right? You find a new place to drink?"

Auggie unbuckled his seatbelt and grabbed for the door handle. "No, nothing like that. Just meeting someone. Kind of last minute."

"Oh, okay. Well, have a good time," Annie said, patting his arm as he stood up out of the car.

Auggie stood, swinging his cane down to his side and ducked his head back into the open door. "You're coming with me, aren't you?" he asked.

Annie sat dumbstruck. "You need a chaperone on a date? What are you, 14?" she asked.

"It's not a date, Annie," Auggie said, tilting his head at her. "Just meeting an old friend. I've never been here before, so -"

"Oh, okay," Annie said, realizing what he was asking. A new place meant he'd be out of his comfort zone. Turning the car's engine off, she got out and joined Auggie on the other side. "You want to wait inside, or -"

Auggie felt for his watch. "Actually, we're still early, so he's probably not here yet. Is there a bench or something outside we can wait for him?"

"Uhh, yeah," Annie said, walking them toward the wooden, highly glossed bench to the right side of the bar's doors. It was already nearly dark outside, and the glass front let the interior's lights shine out onto the sidewalk.

When they were settled, Annie sat back on the bench and crossed her legs, enjoying the warm summer breeze. The clear air and soft light from the bar's windows created a peaceful scene, and she closed her eyes, enjoying the moment.

The sudden and rapid tap-tapping from Auggie's cane beside her interrupted her thoughts, and she opened her eyes. He sat on the bench beside her, bent forward, elbows on his knees, white cane in both hands, and he was playing a staccato against the brick sidewalk. His entire body seemed to be humming with some pent-up emotion, and she wondered who he was meeting, and why the prospect of it had him so nervous.

Reaching out, she placed her hand on his, stopping the nervous tapping. "Auggie, calm down. You're gonna make a hole in the pavement if you keep that up."

Auggie laughed, and let go of his cane with the hand she'd grabbed. Curling his fingers around hers, he held their clasped hands on his knee and leaned back. She noticed it didn't allay his nervousness, as his knee began jumping beneath hand.

"Gonna tell me who we're meeting?" she asked, nudging him with her shoulder.

"Just an old friend," Auggie said, a half-smile lingering on his lips.

"Is it someone I know?"

Auggie thought for a second. "Yeah, actually, you might have seen him a while back."

Annie waited for him to elaborate, and when he didn't, she sighed. "Keeping it as a surprise, huh? I tell you, if it's my old math teacher from high school, you can kiss our friendship good-bye."

Their combined laughter echoed down the street, where Curtis Lively gingerly climbed out of the cab where it'd stopped on the corner. He turned his head to the familiar sound and saw a face he'd last seen on a computer screen, the same laughing, happy August Anderson, former soldier and current CIA agent.

He was sitting outside the bar they'd agreed on meeting at when he'd called him an hour ago, but he wasn't alone. Staring over the cab's roof at the couple, his brow creased in confusion. Anderson never mentioned he had a girl, and frankly, it surprised him. The man never wanted for female company, even when he had his sight, and he'd heard more than his share of stories when they were both serving.

Realizing he was still standing outside the cab, in traffic, he quickly shut the cab door and pulled out his wallet, walking with a pronounced limp to the driver's door. He'd pulled out a couple of bills when the cab driver spoke up.

"No need, it's on me," the man said.

"I'm sorry?" Curtis asked.

"You're just back from the war, huh?" he asked, nodded down to Curtis' leg which still stood out at a slightly odd angle from his body.

"Uh, yeah," Curtis said, frowning.

"Put your money away," the man said, sliding his car into gear again. "And hey, thanks."

Curtis stood stock still as the cab drove off, and slid the bills back into his wallet. He'd had the same thing happen to him yesterday, when he tried to pay for a drink at the airport. He welcomed the gratitude and praise, but it always surprised him when it happened.

Straightening up, he adjusted his cover and walked down the sidewalk to the still-chuckling couple. A smile came to his face as he watched them. They sat close, and their fingers were entwined on Anderson's knee. Well, well, he thought, so Anderson's finally settled down and got himself a girl. A gorgeous one, at that, he realized as her head turned, and the reflective light from the bar's windows lit up her blonde hair and perfect skin.

"Don't know how any man can call himself a soldier with that mop of hair. Care to explain yourself, Anderson?" Curtis drawled as he came within a couple of feet of them.

Auggie stilled at the sound of the familiar Texas drawl. Turning his head toward it, he let go of Annie's hand and stood. He pulled himself to attention and said, "As if I have to explain myself to a grunt like you."

Lively laughed, and walking the few steps that separated them, threw his arms around the former desert rat in a bone-crunching hug.

Annie's mouth hung open as the blonde, crew-cutted Army soldier in impeccable dress blues clung onto Auggie, who returned the man's greeting with fervor. Their hands were clenched into fists across each other's backs, and with a sudden dawning of recognition, she remembered where she'd seen him.

Auggie had helped his former unit during the ill-fated Operation Goliath last year, and his was the face she'd seen on Auggie's computer screen. Wow, she thought, watching the emotional reunion in front of her. Now she knew why Auggie had seemed so excited on the drive over. He'd spoken often after that mission was over about his buddies, bout the work they'd done and the antics they'd gotten themselves into.

Curtis' arms gripped around Anderson's torso, giving him one final squeeze before releasing him. "Damn, man, never thought I'd see you again."

"You mean you wish you'd never see me again. You still owe me 60 bucks," Auggie said, gripping Curtis' upper arm.

"Aww, come on, man, that was almost a year ago."

Auggie smirked, "I should make it double, considering what you spent it on."

Curtis laughed, and turning toward the bar's entrance, saw Auggie's girl sitting on the bench smiling at them. "Uhh, Anderson, you gonna introduce us or what?"

"Fine, change the topic," Auggie said. Holding his hand out toward Annie, he waited until he felt Annie's fingers in his, and she stood up next to them. "Curtis Lively, meet Annie Walker."

Curtis held his hand out to her, and smiled as she gripped his hand firmly and laid one of the brightest smiles he'd ever seen on him. Yeah, he thought, Auggie's done all right.

**Chapter 2: Meet Annie Walker**

"Annie, great to meet you. Surprised Aug here didn't mention you before," Curtis said, releasing her hand. "I'd planned on treating him to some beers and wings, but if you're joining us, I'd be willing to go somewhere else."

"Oh, it's not necessary -" Annie started to say before Auggie interrupted.

"Don't worry about Annie, she can handle a dozen wings with the best of them. Isn't that right?" Auggie asked, hooking his hand behind her elbow.

Annie looked between the two men, their faces expectant and smiling. "Okay, but I have to make a phone call first. Danielle was expecting me." Pulling her cellphone out of her purse, Annie walked a few feet away to call home.

Watching as she began speaking, Curtis clapped Auggie on the shoulder. "Congratulations, man. Out of all of us, you'd be the last I'd think would ever find the one."

"The one?" Auggie asked, his shoulder stinging slightly from the stocky man's hand.

"Annie," Curtis prompted. "I knew you were always a ladies man, but how did you manage to find her? And does she have a sister?"

Auggie shook his head, "No, Curtis, Annie and I aren't - we're just friends. Kind of best friends, actually."

Jerking his gaze from Annie, who was talking animatedly on her cell, to Auggie, Curtis' mouth hung open, then he laughed. "You gotta be kidding me. Since when have you ever been 'just friends' with a woman?"

Auggie thought about his old friend's statement for a moment. Though a bit harsh, he realized it was true. His entire life, he'd never had any kind of female friends, at least ones he hadn't slept with.

"Since I met her," Auggie replied honestly.

"Seriously? How long have you known her?"

"Last summer. She works with me, and when she arrived, she had a really rough time of it. I helped her out through her first couple of months," Auggie explained with a shrug of his shoulders.

Curtis wasn't convinced, thinking back a minute or two ago when he'd seen them on the bench, holding hands and laughing at some private joke. He thought, sure, Aug couldn't see how stunning she was, but -

"All clear for the rest of the night," Annie said, walking back up to Curtis and Auggie. "I'm all yours."

Curtis' eyebrows shot up at the last statement, and he swallowed a laugh, nearly choking. A warning glance from Auggie sobered him up quickly, and he schooled his features into a smile.

Annie glanced quickly between the two men, trying to gauge exactly what they had been talking about in the few minutes she'd been away from them. Auggie looked vaguely uncomfortable, and Curtis was fighting to smile, though his eyes were full of mirth.

"What?" she said with half a laugh. "What'd I miss?"

"Nothing," Auggie said with a bit more finality than he meant. "What do you say we head in? First basket of wings is on me."

"Sounds good to me," Annie said, brushing her arm against his. When his fingers hit the familiar crook above her elbow, she walked with him through the door Curtis opened for them.

"So Curtis, tell me a bit about yourself," Annie said, dipping a wing into the barbecue sauce in the middle of the table. "Auggie's shared a few stories, but -"

"Not much to tell, Annie," Curtis said. "Originally from Texas. Only child, parents passed away when I was in high school. Stayed with my grandma until I graduated and joined up."

Annie sat expectantly, waiting for him to continue, but when he didn't, she frowned and settled back into the booth. Neither Auggie nor Curtis spoke, and she tried again. "So, are you going back to Texas?"

"No," Curtis said. "My grandmother's moved to a nursing home. No other family around there. Had some time to think about it while I was rehabbing at Walter Reed and decided to stick around here after my discharge."

"Rehabbing? You mean -" Annie started, then took a look over at Auggie, who was quiet while he ate his wings.

"Yeah, guess you didn't know. Leg met up with some shrapnel several months back," Curtis said, rubbing at his knee. "Shrapnel won."

Annie took a glance down at the man's leg, now noticing how his foot stuck out at a slightly unnatural angle. She'd noticed he had a bit of a limp when they'd walked into the bar, but didn't realize why.

"My superiors wouldn't let me leave until I'd given them a permanent address, so I talked to some buddies," Curtis continued. "One offered to sublet his apartment here while he'd out of country."

"Why didn't you call me?" Auggie said quietly.

"I did, as soon as I got into town. Haven't even been to the apartment," Curtis replied. "Stuff's been shipped there already."

"I meant, while you were Walter Reed. Why didn't you call me to help you find a place?"

"Aww, come on, Aug. I know how busy you are. Didn't want to cramp your style or anything like that. Besides, I had to prove that I could stand on my own two feet and make my own decisions."

"So to speak," Auggie deadpanned.

Annie gasped at his words, and was about to give Auggie a well-deserved punch in the arm when Curtis started laughing. The dynamic between the two men was hard to fathom, and she could feel a thread of tension between the two, even if they were laughing and joshing one another.

As the silence stretched into a few minutes, she snuck a glance up at both of them again and decided to give them some room to talk. "If you'll excuse me? I need to -"

"Of course," Auggie said, sliding out of the booth to let her out. After she passed by him with a gentle pat on his shoulder, he slid back into the booth and picked up his mug of beer.

The same silence descended on the table, and finally Curtis couldn't stand it anymore. "You're angry with me, aren't you?"

"What? Why would I be -"

"You're mad 'cause I didn't contact you as soon as I got hurt, and the first you heard of it was when I called you an hour ago."

Auggie sat down his beer and leaned his elbows on the table. "Why didn't you?"

"'Cause, Anderson, I knew you'd do what you always did. Take over. Try to fix things. You're a take-charge kind of guy, and you know it. Once I'd gotten over the initial shock, I realized I had to learn to take care of myself."

Auggie scoffed, "That's admirable, but -"

"But nothing," Curtis interrupted. "I had to. You know as well as I do how important regaining your independence is."

Auggie shook his head, but knew deep down that his old friend was right. He'd had the same fight after the IED exploded so many years ago. People running to you, taking your hand, trying to guide you, make decisions for you, and the like. He was slightly hurt that Curtis thought he'd be like all those other people, but maybe the man was right.

"You're right," Auggie admitted. "All that matters now is you're here, you're good, and we got a lot of catching up to do."

"You know it," Curtis said. Catching a glimpse of Annie out of the corner of his eye, he said, "And I know just where to start."

"Hey, guys, you better not have eaten all the wings," Annie said, sliding back into the booth beside Auggie.

"And face the wrath of Walker?" Auggie laughed. "I know better."

"Good," Annie replied with a smile. "So, what'd I miss?"

Curtis slid the basket of wings back over to her and said, "Not much. Just talking about my future plans. What I'm gonna do once I hang up this uniform."

"So what's on the agenda?" Annie asked, grabbing another wing.

"Well, I've had some job offers, but I've given myself about a month of free time to settle in before I make any decision. Never been to DC before, and up until now, all my time's been spent learning how to walk again," Curtis said with a smile.

When she returned it, he decided to go ahead and make his move. "So what do you say, Annie? Show me your city?"

Auggie was glad he wasn't taking a drink when he heard Curtis' question, else he'd be apologizing for the mess he made when he spit it out again. Seriously? Curtis hadn't been out of the hospital for 24 hours, and he was already on the make? With Annie?

He was about to give a stinging retort when he heard Annie answer.

"Sure, but I don't know how much free time I'll have," she answered. "Why don't we exchange numbers, and we'll figure it out later?"

"Sounds good to me," Curtis replied, handing over his cell. He'd been so busy inputting his numbers into Annie's phone that he missed the flash of confusion and jealousy on his old friend's face.

Chapter 3: Go out On a date With me

Auggie Anderson sat in the back seat of the car service on his way to work the next morning, his mind still thinking over all that'd happened in the past 12 hours. Several threads of thought kept popping up, playing through, then overlapping one another.

The first was that his buddy, Curtis Lively, the one that he'd almost lost last fall during Operation Goliath, came home alive. Wounded, sure, but alive. His ego still stung a little bit that he'd only heard about it yesterday. He thought he and Curtis had gotten beyond the "Auggie's blind, how do I act around him" phase, but maybe they weren't.

The second train of thought dealt with Curtis' assumption that he and Annie were together. How exactly did Curtis come to that conclusion? Thinking hard, he put himself in Curtis' place as he arrived at the bar. Annie and he were sitting on the bench, laughing at a dumb joke he'd made. She had grabbed his hand 'cause he was tapping his cane loudly against the pavement, and he -

Ohh, now he realized it. They were laughing, holding hands, sitting next to each other on a small bench. Guess that would make for a romantic scenario, he chuckled to himself.

The third thought came directly on the heels of that one, as he remembered Curtis and Annie trading phone numbers. He'd almost immediately excused himself to the restroom as an unfamiliar wave of emotion hit him in the gut. It took a few deep breaths to realize the emotion was jealousy, but he wasn't sure from where it emanated. Was he jealous of Annie making friends with his buddy? That seemed so grade school.

A more believable, yet utterly incomprehensible, reason was that Curtis was obviously making a move on Annie. He'd so much as told the man that he had no romantic ties to her, so maybe that served as a green light to him.

But seriously, he's jealous of Annie with someone else? He'd always been protective of her, looked out for her, but -

"Mr. Anderson? Mr. Anderson?"

Auggie's dueling trains of thought crashed to a halt at his driver's voice. Then he realized the car had stopped, and he needed to get out.

"Thanks."

"Anytime, Mr. Anderson."

It'd gotten to be a few hours later, and Auggie tried to concentrate on his work, but the thought train kept chugging through his head. And another one joined in, the fact that he did, in fact, owe Annie for dropping everything last night and accompanying him to meet Curtis.

They may have laughed and joked about who owed whom, but he could count on one hand the number of people who'd do so. Annie was number one on that last, and she always readily agreed when he asked her a favor. She always did.

He'd do the same for her, he knew, but when the favors went beyond the norm, like they did last night, it deserved a specific return. Like an actual lunch instead of the takeout the office always did.

The idea in his head, he stood to go find her, but he'd only taken a step when his office door slid open, and Annie walked in.

"Well, speak of the devil."

"Ex - excuse me?" Annie said, stopping inside the door.

"I was just coming to find you."

"Oh, okay. I was just coming to ask what you wanted for lunch. They're making a list, and -"

"Uh-uh," Auggie said, walking up to her. "I was thinking more of heading out for lunch. Join me?"

"When do you go out for lunch?"

"I know, I know. Just today, my treat, the bistro next door. What do you say?"

Annie regarded him with suspicious eyes. "Sounds good. What's the occasion?"

"Why does there have to be an occasion?" Auggie asked. "Can't a guy treat his best friend to lunch?"

"Auggie."

He chuckled. She knew him way too well. "Okay, okay, I was feeling bad that I dragged you along to go see Curtis last night, and I want to make it up to you."

"Oh."

That small exclamation had a slight sound of disappointment to it, and Auggie said, "If you really want to settle for a box lunch, I'm all for saving some cash."

"No, no, it's okay," Annie said quickly.

"But?"

"It's just - this sounds a bit like you're asking me out on a date."

Auggie's eyebrows shot up, and his mind started racing again, all those thought threads bouncing around. He hastily pushed them to the back of his conscience, and forced a short laugh.

"A date? We've hung out outside of work before, you know."

"I know, just making sure of your intentions," Annie said, before laughing herself. Crooking her elbow out for him, they were soon headed out of the building.

The next day, it was after 5pm, and Auggie was shutting things down in his office. His thoughts had settled themselves a bit except for one. A certain blonde who always laughed at his jokes and never let him down. Curtis' assumption that they were together placed a seed in his mind that had taken root. He let it grow a bit, testing it out, and with just a hint of trepidation and a lot of nerve, he approached her.

He kept his footsteps short as he walked through the bullpen to her desk, taking note of the fact that most everyone had left, and Annie was closing drawers and clicking off her lamp. Perfect, he thought.

"Hey, you busy tonight?"

Annie looked up to see Auggie standing next to her chair. With a resigned sigh, she chuckled. "Why? Need another ride?"

"What? Oh, no. I mean, yes, you'll have to drive 'cause - well, you know, but -" Auggie shut his mouth as he realized he was stammering. Geez, what the hell was wrong with him? Taking a deep breath, he tried again.

"I just thought we could have dinner together."

"Oh," Annie said. "Auggie, you already bought me lunch as a thank you the other day. You don't have to buy me dinner, too."

"This isn't a thank you," Auggie said, leaning a hip against her desk. "I just thought you'd like to go out. To dinner. With me."

He tried to sound nonchalant and cool, but those six words struck him with their bluntness. He schooled his features to remain as non-threatening and friendly as he wanted them to be, but he felt his pulse speed up a bit as he waited for her answer.

It took a few seconds to come before he heard her say, "You know, this definitely sounds like you're asking me out on a date."

The words didn't have an affirmative or negative tone to them, and he felt his cool slip a bit. "Umm - well, yeah, I guess."

Annie watched as Auggie's smile slipped a bit. His eyes started to dart around the room, and his normal confident demeanor shifted as the silence grew between them.

She didn't know the rhyme nor the reason for this sudden change in their status, but one thing she was sure about. Going out to dinner with Auggie seemed like the best thing in the world to her right now.

"Okay."

Auggie had been thinking of what to say if she turned him down when her answer came. He'd been so sure she'd laugh it off and turn him down, thinking it was another one of his jokes, but when he heard her say okay, he had to stop himself from letting out a joyous whoop.

Instead, he let himself smile and said, "See you at 7?"

"Yeah, I'll pick you up outside your apartment," Annie said, returning his smile, and so he could appreciate her sentiment, stood and, placing her hand on his shoulder, pressed a light kiss on his cheek.

Chapter 4: Chocolate kisses

Leaning back in her car seat as she drove the few miles back to Auggie's apartment, Annie licked her lips to get the last bit of chocolate chip cookie crumb off them. After dinner, Auggie had opted for a walk in a nearby park, and as they'd walked along, hand-in-hand, Annie had spied the cookie seller on the corner. Seriously, who ever heard of a chocolate chip cookie vendor?

Squealing with delight, she'd dragged him there, pointing out that they hadn't had dessert after their dinner, and he'd given in, purchasing a few. They were the size of saucer plates, and Annie knew she'd be back to that corner in the near future.

"Hey, Auggie, pass me another cookie?"

"Uh-uh," Auggie said, popping the last of his cookie into his mouth. "You already had yours."

"You bought three," Annie protested.

"Your point being?"

"Ugh. Cookie hoarder."

Auggie groaned dramatically at the name-calling, and pulling the final cookie out of the paper bag, deftly snapped it in two and held hers out to her. "We'll share the last one."

"Thanks," Annie said, making fast work of the delicacy. She chewed, smiling as the sweetness slid over her tongue. As the streetlights passed by, she thought over the past evening, and how it came about. Exactly what had come over him to ask her out on a date?

She'd been startled just a bit when he'd come up to her desk and uttered those six words, "go out to dinner with me." Then she saw his face, saw how a little bit of nervousness had crept into his eyes, and for the first time saw his confident demeanor slip a bit as he stammered. The affection she felt for him nearly doubled in size in those few moments, and she found herself agreeing almost immediately.

But a little part of her brain still wanted to know why. "Hey, Auggie, can I ask you something?"

"You just did."

Annie groaned at the cliched joke. "Come on, I'm serious."

"You can ask me anything, you know that."

"I know," Annie replied. "I just wanted to know why."

"Why? I'm not sure I follow."

"Why, after all this time, you ask me out on a date. It was kind of sudden, and -"

Auggie chuckled. He figured she'd be wondering about that and was surprised it took her until now to question his proposal. "Nothing too earth-shattering, actually. Just something Curtis said yesterday."

"Curtis? I didn't hear him say anything at dinner that fell into the lines of, 'you know, you two make a cute couple,'" Annie said.

"No, when you were talking to Danielle, before we went into the bar. For some reason, he automatically assumed we were a couple and congratulated me on finding the one."

"The one what?" Annie asked.

"Exactly what I said," Auggie replied, nodding.

"Oh, okay, the one, as in, 'the one.'" Annie thought for a minute. "What did you tell him?"

"The truth, that you were one of the closest friends I have," Auggie answered honestly. "And then when he asked you to show him around DC, I got a little -"

"A little what?"

"Jealous," Auggie answered. "Didn't know where it came from, but suddenly, it was there, and -"

"And that's why you had to excuse yourself?" Annie asked, glancing over at him.

"Yep."

"Huh, guess we owe Curtis a thank you, huh?"

"Well, I was planning on saving that final cookie for him, but since you stole it -" Auggie said, laughing.

Annie nudged an elbow into his arm, but couldn't help joining his laughter. This is what she liked when she spent time with Auggie. He could always make her laugh. She'd spent many days driving them both to dinner, to destinations, rides to and from work, and he always made the time enjoyable.

But a sudden thought occurred to her, and she glanced over at Auggie, who was wiping cookie crumbs off his chin.

"Hey, Auggie?" she asked, allowing a bit of the mirth she was feeling into her voice. "This was a date, right?"

Auggie chuckled, and in mock seriousness, answered, "Yes, I believe those were the terms we agreed to."

"Hmm," Annie said, turning in front of Auggie apartment building and parking. ""Cause I was thinking, this isn't much different than any other time we've hung out after work."

"Hmm, I think you're right," Auggie said. "Were we already dating and didn't know it?"

"No, I don't think so."

Auggie nodded and unbuckled his seatbelt, turning in his seat towards her. "I don't think so, either. But there is one big difference between tonight and all those other times."

"Oh, yeah?" Annie asked, turning towards him.

"Yep, a very important one, in fact."

"And would you care to share what this difference would be?"

Auggie raised his left hand to her shoulder and leaned a few inches closer. "Any other time," he said in a softer tone, "I wouldn't have done this."

Annie smiled as Auggie's hand slid up her shoulder to her jaw. She would've leaned closer and closed the space between them herself, but she could see the insistent and possessive look in his eyes. So she waited as his thumb traced along her jaw toward her chin and moved up to the corner of her mouth.

As his target was made, he leaned further toward it, head tilting slightly to the side. Annie moved a fraction of an inch the other way, and barely stifled a slight moan as his lips touched hers.

It wasn't too forceful, just a testing of the waters, or a tasting, if you will. The sweetness of the cookies they'd both just ate still clung to his lips, and Annie had a split-second urge to dip a bit further.

Auggie knew his move was a bit impulsive, maybe even a bit premature, given her astute observation that they'd already done this "dinner night out" several times over the past year since they'd known one another. But he'd come to the conclusion during their walk through the park that moving their relationship beyond "just friends" was one of the best ideas he'd ever had, even if its impetus wasn't his.

And now, as he kissed her, tasting the sweetness of her lips even through the chocolate, he knew he'd made the right choice. He and Annie just fit together, and with a silent thank you to Curtis who'd put the image of Annie and him as a romantic pair in his head, he allowed the kiss to extend, cupping her jaw more firmly with his hand. And as he felt her responding, in essence, kissing him back, he smiled against her mouth.

He pressed his lips against hers once more before pulling back. "You taste sweet."

"It - it's the cookies," Annie whispered, though she knew the artificial sugar had nothing on the deliciousness of Auggie's kiss.

Auggie shook his head as he let his thumb caress her bottom lip before sliding his hand off her jaw slowly. Opening the car door, Auggie slid out, unfolding his white cane. Before shutting the door, he ducked his head back inside.

"The cookies were only the appetizer," he said with a wink. "I'll call you tomorrow?"

"Good night, Auggie," Annie said, still slightly dazed from his kiss. "Want me to wait until you get inside, make sure you made it home safe?"

"Thought that was my job," Auggie laughed. He walked up to his apartment building, noting that her car did, indeed, stay idling on the street until he'd disappeared inside the building.

Chapter 5: An inadvertent triangle

A loud purr in her ear woke Annie the next morning, and she automatically raised a hand and pushed her cat off her pillow. She'd opted to sleep in, and glancing at the clock, realized it was more than she usually did. 10am. No wonder her cat was nudging at her. Probably wondering if she was still alive.

No, Annie was alive and good, and stretching her body beneath the warm comforter, her mind went directly to the events of last night, when her and Auggie's date ended with the sweetest, most romantic and bone-liquefying first kiss she'd ever had in her life.

Closing her eyes, she relived it again, committing to memory each and every nuance. She breathed deep, and now that she was wide awake, an unbidden and unwanted thought came to her. She was scared. Not of Auggie, but of committing herself to another relationship.

It'd been so easy, almost inevitable, and through the entire handful of hours - from him asking her out to that honey of a good night kiss - it seemed natural and right. So where was this - this negativity coming from?

She sat up in bed, pulling her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them as she thought. Her heart was singing with the possibilities of a romantic relationship with Auggie. Yet the battered and bruised part of her mind still held her back from jumping around the room in unbridled joy.

Closing her eyes against the competing thoughts, she heard her heart laughing softly. Didn't you know this was inevitable?

But why? Why now, after a year of knowing each other?

You know Auggie. He may be the most giving and loyal man you've ever met, but he's stubborn. You needed to wait for him.

But a whole year? What if something had happened in all that time? What if he met someone else, or I met someone else?

Nothing could have prevented this.

What, it was destined to be? Ohh, I'm not sure I can do this.

It's too late. You already have. Auggie is already so ingrained into your life, into your heart and into your mind, whether or not you want to do it is a moot point right now.

Annie chuckled at the thought. Yeah, that's very true.

He probably feels the same, or else why would he ask you out? Why would he have kissed you like that if he wasn't thinking about a long-term deal?

I'm still not sure.

Then think about this. You know Auggie. You've heard the stories. How did he end his dates with women in the past?

Annie thought on this, though she really didn't want to. Auggie was known as an incurable flirt, and she usually teased him mercilessly about his occasional walks of shame and one night stands.

Ohh, I never thought of that. He just kissed me good night. Annie's eyes narrowed at the thought. She was so into remembering the good night kiss that she never thought about the fact that Auggie usually invited his dates up to his place, and -

Yep, he left it at a kiss and a promise to call you today.

A joyous grin spread across Annie's face at the thought of talking to Auggie again today. Would he want to go out tonight? He never said what he was doing this weekend. Well, Annie thought to herself, there's no use getting anxious about it. She trusted Auggie implicitly, and extricating herself out of her comforter, she headed to the bathroom to get ready for the day.

A little before noon, Annie was busying herself with the normal weekend chores when her cell rang. Automatically thinking of Auggie, she dropped the pile of clothing she was taking to the washing machine and raced across the room to grab it. The numbers that showed, though, were unfamiliar to her.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Annie. It's Curtis."

"Curtis! I knew I recognized the number from somewhere. How are you?"

"Good, I'm good. Thought I'd take you up on your offer to show me around."

"Oh," Annie said, sitting down on her couch. "I did promise that, huh?"

"Unless you're busy or something or working. I mean, you don't have to -"

"Nope, not working this weekend. And I always keep my promises. It's almost lunchtime. Have you eaten?"

"Nope, not yet."

"Great. Tell you what, give me your address, and I'll pick you up. Where to have the best lunch is lesson number one."

Annie heard Curtis chuckle over the phone. "Now, that I wouldn't mind. I had gotten some groceries when I first moved in, but there's only so many peanut butter sandwiches a man can live on."

"Great. I'll see you in an hour?"

"I'll be waiting."

Annie chuckled as she watched Curtis dive into the stacked hamburger the waitress had just placed in front of him. If she didn't know any better, it was the first one he'd had since he returned to the States. It may have been, if what he said was true, that he'd only been released from the hospital for a few days now, and he'd been subsisting on a few bags of groceries.

"Oh, this is delicious," Curtis exclaimed. "Thanks, Annie. This place is definitely going on my list of favorite places."

"My pleasure," Annie replied with a smile, taking a bite out of her own hamburger. After a few more moments of silence, she asked, "Have you made arrangements for transportation? I mean, your apartment isn't all that near, and –"

"Oh," Curtis said, taking a drink of his Coke. "Already made plans for a lease. Car's getting delivered this Monday. Thankfully, the shrapnel got my left leg, else operating the gas and brake'd be a little awkward."

Annie nodded and settled back into her food. She watched Curtis as she did so, noting the fact that, even if he was now a civilian, he still dressed and carried himself as a soldier. Dress shirt pressed to perfection, hair still cut into a "high and tight." If she didn't know better, she'd swear he was merely on leave and ready to rejoin his unit at any given time.

She wondered if Auggie went through the same thing after the IED had robbed him of his sight. She'd known him a year now, but the topic had never come up between them. Probably, she thought, because he was so well-adjusted now. Completely at ease with his new former soldier status. Now, looking at Curtis, she imagined Auggie in his place, clawing and grasping to resume a normal life.

Soon enough, they were finished eating, and as the bill was placed on the table, Annie reached to grab it. Her hand, though, was stayed by Curtis' on top of the piece of paper.

"Come on, Curtis, the least I can do is pay."

"No, it was my idea to have you show me around. I can pay for lunch," Curtis said, his voice harsh.

"Fine," Annie said, jerking her hand back out from under his.

Immediately regretting his outburst, Curtis apologized, "I'm sorry, Annie. It's just, I'm getting tired of people treating me like some kind of war hero that needs to be taken care of. Do you know I haven't paid for a meal or a drink or hell, even a cab ride since I landed on US soil?"

"It's okay," Annie said, though by the look on her face, Curtis knows he offended her.

"No, it's not. You've been one of the first people to treat me normally in months, and I snap at you when you're just trying to be nice."

Curtis picked up the check and stood, balancing himself first on his prosthetic before holding his hand out to Annie. He wasn't sure if she'd take it, but she did, and smiled brightly at her.

As he waited in line at the cashier to pay the bill, he heard Annie's phone beep.

"Oh, would you excuse me, Curtis? I have to take this."

"Sure. I'll meet you outside at the car."

Annie waited until she was on the sidewalk before she answered. "Hey, Auggie."

"Annie, thought I was going to get your voicemail for a second there. Where are you? I tried you at your home, but no one answered."

"I'm having lunch with Curtis."

"Curtis?"

Annie's eyebrows rose at the disbelieving tone in his voice. "Yes, don't you remember? I promised to show him around the other night."

"Yeah, that's right. You did."

"Do I detect a hint of jealousy?" Annie asked, giggling.

"No, you don't. I was just wondering why you went without me."

Annie sighed deeply. "Because, considering I could have cut the air with a knife the other night due to the tension between you two, I thought he might appreciate someone new to talk to."

When she heard no reply, Annie continued, "Come on, Auggie. He seems to really be having a hard time. Could you just put aside whatever's between you two and talk with him? He's got no family, you know."

"I know."

"Please, Auggie."

"No need to beg, I'll do it."

Annie breathed a sigh of relief. "That's my guy."

"Your guy, huh? I like the sound of that."

"Well, you should, it's true."

"And are you my girl?

Annie felt her knees nearly buckle at the low, soft tone in his voice. It was similar to how he sounded last night, right before he kissed her. And it was rapidly becoming one of her favorite sounds in the world.

"Annie?"

"You know I am."

"Give me a call tonight when you get done playing tour guide?"

"Okay. Bye, Auggie."

"'Til then, Annie."

Annie stood there, cradling her phone against her chest, savoring the conversation until she heard the door behind her open.

Curtis walked out onto the sidewalk and was immediately struck by the look on Annie's face as she walked up to him. A sort of radiance shone through her eyes, and her smile could light up the dark side of the moon. Guess she'd forgiven him for snapping at her earlier, he thought.

"Well, now that we've got your favorite restaurant settled, why don't I show you where some stores are?" Annie said, smiling up at him. "I'm sure you need to restock your refrigerator and pick up some other supplies."

"Sounds great to me," Curtis said, allowing himself to hesitantly place his hand between her shoulder blades as they walked toward her car.

All that time he'd spent in a hospital bed and later struggling through rehabilitation learning how to walk with a fake leg, Curtis had thought what life would be like once he'd become a civilian. Finding a job, a place to live, a new routine were the main things on his mind, but now, as he slid into the passenger seat of Annie's car, the one thing he hadn't counted on or even anticipated was finding someone as wonderful as Annie Walker.

Chapter 6: Brothers in arms

Annie didn't even notice Auggie standing a few people ahead of her in line at the Starbucks Monday morning until she heard his voice as he ordered. She bit her cheek to keep from smiling as she heard him tell the barista his normal drink and also hers, a coffee frappuccino. Stepping out of line, she took a seat to wait for him.

She watched the barista smiling and laughing a bit too loudly at a small joke she must have made as she prepared the beverages. For his part, Auggie did chuckle a little, but when he didn't say anything else, the smile slid off the barista's face, and she focused on her task.

Annie longed to sidle up to Auggie and wrap her arm around his waist and kiss her thanks for buying her coffee, but given their conversation Saturday night, she opted to wait. She'd faithfully called him after dropping Curtis off at his new apartment and unloading everything he'd bought. They'd spent most of the afternoon touring after eating. Curtis was eager to settle into the city, and Annie was eager to make a good impression on Auggie's best friend. She knew Auggie would expect it of her, yet she still hadn't found out why, though the men obviously loved each other, jaws still clinched every once in a while.

And though she couldn't see Auggie's stoic face Saturday night while she was talking to him, angling for more information, she knew by his short, clipped answers that these two men needed to get together and hash out whatever was bugging the both of them. She only got him to talk again by changing the topic, though the one she chose wasn't much safer.

So, how are we going to handle this on Monday?

Handle what?

Auggie, you know what I mean. Are we going to walk into the DPD hand-in-hand, or are you going to be lightly touching my elbow as I guide you to your office?

Ohh. We should probably keep this on the down low for the time being.

Why? I distinctly remember you telling me – oh, what was it again? "The CIA highly encourages in-house dating."

Annie, that's the worst impression of me I've ever heard. And yes, I did say that, but – well –

But what? Oh, my God, that was just a line, wasn't it? You're such a flirt. We'd just met, and you were already trying to pick me up?

True, it wasn't one of my best, but it's worked in the past. Are you mad?

No, not at all. And actually, I'm glad you feel that way. I'd rather not share this or you with anyone else right now.

It is kind of nice, isn't it?

Well, nice isn't exactly the word I was going for. I'd say more inevitable than anything else.

Inevitable? As in, meant to be?

Sort of feels that way, doesn't it?

Yes, it does.

And so, with that easy agreement, Annie and Auggie decided to take this new level of their relationship slow and strictly between the two of them. Feeling like a schoolgirl with a secret crush, Annie fought the urge to giggle as he picked up the cardboard holder with the two drinks in it and turned toward her. He was only a few feet away when she stood.

"That frappuccino for me?"

"Annie?" Auggie nearly stumbled at the sound of her voice. Thankfully, he kept his grip on the coffee, else they'd both be wearing the hot beverage. "Since when do you sneak up on blind guys?"

"I hardly call waiting for you and announcing myself sneaking, Auggie," Annie said, bumping her elbow against his. His fingers hooked around her arm just above the elbow.

"I know," he replied. Waiting until they'd cleared the crowd and were walking down the empty hallway, he whispered, "I was thinking about you waiting for the coffee, and hearing your voice just –"

"Made all your dreams come true?" Annie whispered back.

Auggie groaned at her words and clenched his fingers around her arm. "I thought we agreed to keep this between us."

"We're whispering, and there's no one around."

"Yes, but if you keep saying things like that and whispering to me in that low, seductive tone, I may have to do what I'd been thinking about waiting for the coffee."

"And what's that?" Annie said, as she placed her hand on the DPD's glass door handle.

Auggie dipped his head toward hers and whispered, "Finding out whether or not your lips taste as sweet without the chocolate chip cookies."

Before Annie could answer, the door was opened for her, and as two agents swept past them, she heard Joan's voice across the bullpen. "Annie! You're needed, conference room, 15 minutes."

Snagging a beer from his refrigerator, Auggie settled on his couch, waiting for Curtis to arrive. Having a heart-to-heart talk with him was Annie's idea, and he wished she were here, as well. But as soon as she'd stepped into the office, Joan had whisked her away. Currently, she was on a flight to Portugal, and he wouldn't see her again for two days.

He missed her already, though she did give him a ride home before heading to the airport. He thought back on their conversation in her car as it idled in front of his apartment an hour ago. She'd kissed him good-bye, and he soon found that he was right, and the cookies they'd eaten prior to their first kiss served as only an appetizer to the true taste of her.

But it was what they talked about afterwards that truly tugged at his chest and made him believe what she'd said earlier was true, that what they had now was truly inevitable.

_I wish you weren't going._

_It's my job, Auggie. You knew that going in. Don't you trust me?_

_I trust you with every fiber of my being._

_Do you promise not to freak out every time I go out on a mission?_

_When have I ever –_

_Even if we lose touch for hours or days?_

_Annie, I worry about you every time, and it nothing to do with this. I will never stop worrying about you. But I know how important this job is to you, and how good you are at it._

_Thanks._

_Is it really so bad to have someone back home who cares about you?_

Auggie smiled now, remembering how she hadn't answered, but kissed him again, hard, before kicking him out of her car. He'd noticed that she hadn't driven away until he'd entered the building. Yep, there was definitely nothing bad about having someone care about you. A sharp tap at his door pulled him out of his thoughts, and he stood up to let Curtis in.

Pulling the door open, he stepped to the side to let Curtis in, but was startled to feel Curtis grab his outstretched hand and pull him in for what he could only term as a man-hug. Shoulders bumped, and Curtis clapped him on the shoulder. Damn, the man still had a grip, Auggie thought as his shoulder stung.

"Want a beer?" he asked, sliding his door shut.

"Yeah, whatever you got," Curtis said, sitting down on the couch and letting his eyes look around his friend's apartment. Somehow, it wasn't what he expected, as he took in the minimalist furniture and eclectic decoration.

"You eat yet? I can whip up something for you, or order something?"

"Nah, Aug, I'm good."

Auggie nodded, pulling the beer from his refrigerator. He'd heard Curtis sit on his couch, so he walked over and held it out. Curtis took it from his hand, and Auggie settled himself on the opposite side, grabbing his own beer where he'd left it on the table in front of him. As the silence stretched between them, broken only when he heard Curtis take a drink, Auggie silently groaned. Annie, what have you gotten me into?

Taking a deep breath, he tried to break the ice. "Heard a car pull up right before you knocked. Yours?"

"Yeah, just a lease. Ford Fusion, 2010."

Auggie choked as his mouthful of beer threatened to come out of his nose. "A hybrid? Seriously?"

"Something wrong with that?" Curtis asked, though he knew why Auggie was laughing. It wasn't his first choice of vehicle, but changes had to be made.

"No, man, just pictured you in something like a Hummer or a F350."

"A bit ridiculous for the suburbs of DC, don't you think? Now, if you guys had some dirt tracks, we could really get some mud flying," Curtis sad, smiling.

Auggie nodded, remembering back during their time in the desert, when they'd taken a spare vehicle out and practiced donuts and catching air. Driving was one of the things he missed the most, he'd have to admit.

"Well, maybe you could," he chuckled.

The burgeoning jovial mood was cut, though, as Curtis lapsed back into silence. The same type of silence Auggie felt during Operation Goliath when he'd been speaking to the man through their computers. He could almost feel Curtis' uncomfortableness. Back then, it'd depressed him until Annie gave the first of many pep talks to him and cheered him up. But now, all he felt was anger.

Taking a hefty swig from his bottle, he slammed it on the table in front of him. "Okay, Lively, out with it."

"Out with what?" Curtis said, startled by the man's outburst.

"Anytime the fact that I'm now blind comes up in conversation, you clam up," Auggie said harshly. "What the hell? It's been years, man. I've gotten used to it, and I don't need my so-called friends acting like I'm some sort of leper."

Curtis slammed his bottle onto the table, as well, and Auggie waited for him to talk. When he didn't, he stood and began to pace. "Everything was fine between us before that damn IED, so you are going to sit there and tell me what the hell your deal is."

"I don't have to explain anything to you," Curtis said, standing. He'd only made it a couple of steps before Auggie stood in his way. "Get out of my way, Anderson."

"You're not leaving here until you talk."

"You gonna stop me? I'd like to see you try."

"So to speak, huh? Though, I don't know, it might be a hell of a fight, the blind guy versus the gimp?" Auggie smirked. He knew his words were harsher than they needed to be, but he also knew Curtis, and unless he pushed him, here and now, he'd never talk.

And, as he heard him suck in his breath as Auggie's words sunk in, he knew he had him. Auggie braced himself for the swing he knew was coming his way. He ducked as the arm came swinging around and launched himself on Curtis' back as his wild swing made him turn.

He attempted to grab Curtis' arm to place him in at least a half-nelson, but he slipped from his grasp. He heard him charging, and Auggie caught Curtis by the shoulders and twisted, taking them both down onto the ground. Curtis groaned as Auggie's weight hit him between the shoulder blades, and his legs twisted underneath him.

Curtis kicked his legs to gain some momentum to buck Auggie off of him, but as he heard a clattering sound, he stopped. The fight left both of the men as they realized Curtis' prosthetic had come loose and fell off.

As Auggie's weight left his back, Curtis pushed himself huffily onto his knees, and with a grunt and a jump, made it onto his right leg. With a couple of ungainly hops, he made it back onto the couch.

Auggie felt around on the floor beside him, until his fingers came across an object. A heavy shoe with a metal bar out of the top and plastic on the end, covered in leather straps. Picking it up, he stood and walked over to the couch, holding it out to Curtis.

Curtis took in the sight of Auggie standing there, handing him his fake foot, and began to laugh. The sound was loud in the apartment, and as he saw Auggie flinch, he laughed all the harder, jerking the prosthetic out of his hand.

Settling down to re-attach the device, he looked up at him. "Man, what the hell are we doing?"

Auggie shook his head and resumed his seat on the couch. "Being stupid."

Curtis had to agree, and reattaching the final leather strap, he stamped his foot on the ground to test it. "You really want to know, don't you?"

"Yes."

"Tikrit, that morning. You went out on patrol with Gradel and West."

"I already know this part."

"Yeah, but you don't know all of it. You were chosen 'cause I was too hungover from the night before. I tried to cover up, but the Captain saw it and ordered me down."

Auggie frowned at Curtis' words. Though his memory of that time was still a bit hazy, and some parts were completely gone, he distinctly remembered everything up until he'd climbed into the vehicle with Gradel and West. Lively was nowhere to be seen, and he found it odd at the time. Now he knew why. Questions still popped up in his mind.

"Wait, where the hell did you get the alcohol? We were forced to go dry on that mission."

"Yeah, well, let's just say I had some contacts that were willing to sneak me in some. I was drunk, Auggie. I was sleeping off a hangover while one of the few men I loved like a brother was nearly blown up."

"You think this is your fault," Auggie said, realization dawning on him.

"Think? That's an understatement. It is my fault. I know it, and now you know it. Maybe it was a mistake coming here."

"No," Auggie said, turning toward Curtis, forcing him to stay seated on the couch with his words. "An IED hidden in a dead dog is at fault."

"Aug, come on, man, you don't have to –"

"So who's responsible for your leg?"

"What?"

Taking a deep breath, Auggie said slowly, "I'm blind because I was a soldier out on patrol, and an IED exploded in my face. That's it. That's what happens. You're minus a foot because that's what happens in a war."

Curtis took in Auggie's words and the sincere, hopeful look in his eyes. He'd told himself over the years the same thing, but the words always seemed hollow in his mind. Now, though, as they came from the man himself, he felt a weight he hadn't known was there left from his chest. The sudden lightness made him catch his breath, and he stood, shaking his head to clear it.

Auggie heard Curtis stand up, and his head dropped down to his chest. Damn, he didn't feel like fighting the man again, but he knew if he didn't get it through Curtis' thick skull that he didn't blame him for what happened all those years ago, they'd never be able to talk again.

Standing up, he braced himself for another wrestling match. But, as Curtis' arms came around him, he stiffened. The grip wasn't adversarial, though, and in a few seconds, he realized Curtis was hugging him. A smile spread across his face as he returned it, his hands clenched into fists across Curtis' back.

Chapter 7: Meet me at 7

"I take it you had a good time, then?" Annie asked, glancing over at Curtis as he sat in the passenger side of her car, grinning from ear-to-ear. "You haven't stopped smiling since we left."

"It's just – wow, I've never been to the Smithsonian, and I never knew how immense and all-encompassing and – well, awesome it was," Curtis gushed.

Annie laughed aloud at his joy. "Well, now that you've got your own car, you can see the rest of it. We've only taken in about half the exhibits, you know."

"How did you know everything?"

"Oh, well," Annie said hesitantly. She knew Curtis was aware she worked with Auggie at the CIA, but she knew a more detailed explanation wasn't feasible at this point. "Let's just say the inner workings of the Smithsonian Institute falls in line with my work."

Curtis nodded, and his smile slid down a bit. He knew she wasn't "allowed" to speak about her profession, but it sure made it difficult to get to know her better. They'd been sight-seeing now for a couple weekends, but he could count on both hands the actual number of hours they'd been out together. Any time he'd attempted to draw her out more, she'd hemmed and hawed about details.

"So, you've been in town for a couple of weeks," Annie said. "Any thoughts on what you're going to do once your vacation is up?"

"Yes, actually," Curtis replied. "Believe it or not, the Army's approached me about working for them, in a strictly civilian manner, of course. Complete desk job, but tell you the truth, I'm surprised they reached out to me."

"That's great!" Annie exclaimed, beaming a smile across the seat to him, which he readily returned. "Have you told Auggie?"

"Not yet," Curtis said. "Just found out about it yesterday. Didn't want to go shouting it from the rooftops in case it fell through."

Annie pulled in front of Curtis' apartment and put the car in park. "You should tell him."

"I will. Listen, Annie, I had a great time today," Curtis said, unbuckling his seatbelt. "And I really owe you for giving up your weekends playing tour guide for me."

"Oh, it's nothing," Annie brushed aside his compliment.

"It's not nothing. I'd like to –" Curtis' mouth suddenly went dry as his courage faltered a bit. He couldn't believe how shy he felt in trying to ask her out. He'd seen war and dealt with things most people had never even thought of, but unfortunately, he'd never been as smooth with the opposite sex as he'd like to be.

He opened his mouth to try again, but his words were cut off as Annie's cellphone rang.

"Oh, would you excuse me? I have to take this," Annie said.

"Of course. I have to go, anyway. Talk to you later?"

Annie nodded and waved good-bye to Curtis as he got out of the car and walked

into his apartment building.

"Auggie, hey."

"Hey, you busy?"

"Nope, just dropped Curtis off."

"Playing tour guide again? Where was it this time?"

"The Smithsonian. He was grinning like a little boy. Guess they don't have places like that down in Texas."

"No, I don't think so."

"He's also got a job lined up."

"That's great, I'll have to give him a call and ask him about it. Hey, listen, you busy tonight?"

"Depends."

"Depends on what?"

"Well, I was thinking about taking a certain guy I've been dating to a new place I saw today."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah, I hope he likes it, too, because afterwards, I was thinking about inviting him back to my place."

"Wow, that's kind of forward, don't you think? How long have you been dating this young man?"

"A few weeks now, though it feels like I've known him forever. You ever feel that way about someone?"

"Yeah, as a matter of fact, I do feel that way about a certain young lady."

"And what would you do if that, umm, young lady asked you to meet her outside your apartment around, say, 7pm tonight?"

"Well, I'd probably say yes. With the understanding that she'd accompany me back to my apartment after we had dinner."

"Your apartment, huh? What's wrong with going to her place?"

"Mine has more privacy."

Annie was glad she was sitting down during the whole flirtatious conversation, 'cause his last sentence made her knees go slightly weak. It never mattered what the words were, when he dropped his voice like that and nearly whispered, she swore her heart skipped a beat or two.

Taking a deep breath, she continued, "You don't think that's a bit presumptuous, do you?"

"We can take this as slow as you want, Annie. I just want to spend as much time with you as I can."

As the flirty banter slid away, Annie replied softly, "I know you do. And I feel the same way. Be at your place at 7?"

"Until then, chere."

Smiling at the endearment, Annie whispered her good-bye into the cellphone and clicked it shut.

Curtis drained the last of the longneck he'd been nursing and tapped it on the bar, signaling for another. He glanced at his watch and saw that it was past 7:00. He thought of giving Annie another call, but didn't want to seem too overeager. Maybe he was pushing it a bit, calling her an hour after she'd dropped him off to ask her out for drinks. Pushy and presumptuous for sitting here waiting for her, as he hadn't even talked to directly to her, only her voicemail.

But he'd seen how she'd gushed over the look of this place as they'd walked past it this afternoon, so he'd left her a message saying he'd be there that night, if she'd like to join him. He tried to keep the invitation casual, but he was afraid he came across a bit eager. Geez, he thought, getting back in the dating game after years of being a soldier first above all wasn't as easy as he hoped it'd be.

As another ten minutes slid past, and another longneck slid down his throat, Curtis thought of giving her another call, and how he could do so without sounding like a desperate teenager. And considering how much alcohol he'd consumed already, he thought maybe he should move to a table and order some food, just so if she did show up, he wouldn't come across as a drunken slob.

He was trying to get the bartender's notice to tell her of his intentions when the bell above the door rang, and he heard a familiar, feminine laugh. Turning on his bar stool, he stared in disbelief as Annie and Auggie came through the door. Ahh, damn, he thought. Maybe his invitation sounded a bit too casual, and Annie assumed he just wanted to get together as friends, dragging Anderson along for extra company.

He'd never mentioned to the man his intentions toward Annie, but maybe now was the time to do so. Perhaps if he whispered in Auggie's ear, he'd agree to make a quick exit, and –

Curtis' hopeful train of thought ground to a halt, though, as he watched Auggie slide his arm around Annie's waist and pull her up against him. Flabberghasted, his mouth dropped open as Annie's arms wound around Auggie's neck, and they kissed. What the hell, he thought, the confusion he'd experienced a moment ago flashing into full-on anger.

Waving off the bartender as she tried to hand him another beer, Curtis stood up off the bar stool, and with as much speed as he could muster with a bum foot, stalked up to the couple.

"What the hell is this?" he asked, pushing Auggie hard against his shoulder.

Auggie jerked out of Annie's embrace at the unexpected assault. He thought he recognized Curtis' voice, but wasn't sure what was going on. Reflexively, he turned around, a protective arm covering Annie.

"Curtis?"

"Yeah, Aug, it's Curtis," came the reply, slightly slurred and extremely sarcastic.

"What is your problem, Lively? Other than being drunk in public?"

"My problem? I'm not the one with the problem. You said you two were only friends," Curtis said, swinging his arm towards the wide-eyed blonde staring at the both of them.

"Me and Annie?"

"Yeah, figured you were pretty much giving me the go-ahead to date her," Curtis said, his voice raising.

"No, I didn't," Auggie said.

Curtis waved off Auggie's innocent protestation, the alcohol in his system playing havoc with and intensifying his racing emotions of jealousy and betrayal. "And you, Annie. You never said anything to me about dating Anderson. How long has this been going on?"

"What?" Annie asked, scoffing. "I don't have to explain myself to you."

"Why'd you come here with him, then, to rub it in my face?"

"What the hell are you talking about, Curtis?" Annie asked.

"Don't play innocent with me," Curtis said, wagging his finger at her. "I called you, left you a message to meet me here, and you show up with – with him – and kiss him right in front of me!"

Auggie had heard enough and stepped up to him. "Leave her alone, Lively. You're drunk."

"Oh, now you're gonna play the big, bad boyfriend?" Curtis said, pushing Auggie away from him. "First you tell me you're just friends, that you're okay with her showing me around town, then you steal her right out from under me!"

Auggie held his hands up in front of him, trying to block any further attacks by his inebriated friend, and also to try to diffuse the situation. He wasn't sure what Curtis was talking about, but one thing was for sure. He wasn't too far off in his initial thoughts that first night when Curtis came to town that he was trying to make a play for Annie.

He opened his mouth to try to calm Curtis down and say a grave misunderstanding had been made between the three of them, but when he felt Curtis push at him again, his own anger at the man bubbled up. He caught Curtis' wrists as they came at him again, holding them in a tight grip. Given the fact that they were in a public place, he couldn't take him down as he had in his apartment, and so he settled on containing him.

"Would you two stop it!" Annie yelled. She wasn't sure what Curtis was shouting about, or where the anger towards her and Auggie was coming from, but she did know one thing. If she didn't stop them, they'd soon be tearing each other apart.

Clapping a hand on each of their shoulders, she attempted to push them apart, but a sudden jerk from Curtis to free himself from Auggie's grip caused her to stumble backwards. Thankfully, she caught herself before crashing into a table.

"That's it! I'm sick of the both of you!" she shouted, her patience coming to an end. Turning on her heel, she jerked the door open and left, the bell tinkling as it swung shut.

"Annie, wait," Auggie said, turning around to follow her.

"Oh, no, you don't," Curtis said, grabbing Auggie's arm. "You and me are gonna settle this, right here and now."

"Oh, no, you won't," a big, stocky man said, stalking up to both of them. With one meaty hand on the both of them, he separated the two men. "This is my place, and I don't care how disabled the two of you obviously are, I don't tolerate fighting, or screaming at women."

"Sir, please," Auggie said, trying to calm the situation. "I have to go after her."

"What you have to do right now is what I say," the owner said, renewing his grip on both of the men's arms. "Phoebe! Call these two men a cab to get them out of here." Then, seeing the palpable tension between the two men, he said, "Make that two cabs."

"I can leave all by myself," Curtis spit out. "My car's right outside."

"Not in your state, you're not. You're going home in a cab if I have to throw you in it myself."

Auggie trudged up the stairs to his apartment, his mood swinging between anger and disappointment. Anger at Curtis for ruining his night with Annie, and disappointment with himself for letting Curtis goad him into a fight and making Annie storm out. Just when things started looking promising between the two of them.

As he rounded the corner towards his apartment, he was thinking what type of flowers to send her as an apology when he heard someone clear their throat a few feet in front of him. Inhaling automatically, he caught a scent.

"Annie?"

"Yeah, Auggie, it's me. I –"

"I'm so sorry," Auggie said quickly, walking up to her and wrapping his arms around her shoulders. He sent a silent prayer and a thank you as he felt her arms slide around his waist. "I tried coming after you, but the bar owner wouldn't let us leave and insisted on calling a cab for me."

"I know," Annie whispered into his shoulder. "I saw both of you leave as I was heading out." Leaning back to study his face, she said, "What was that all about, anyway?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing," Auggie said with a half-laugh. "I mean, I know you'd never lead a guy on, but what made Curtis think that you were his?"

"I honestly don't know," Annie said. "I hadn't said anything to him the past few weeks about us, and we've only been sight-seeing a few times, I swear. Maybe he was going to say something tonight, but seriously, I really don't know."

"Guess our date night's a bust, huh?" Auggie said, running his fingers through her hair and tucking it behind her ear.

"Well, the 'getting dinner at a great new restaurant' part, yeah, but, umm, didn't you mention something else?" Annie said.

Auggie smiled, "I do remember a young lady inviting me to her place."

"Uh-uh, there was a counteroffer, remember?"

"Oh, you mean the part where I offered to take her to my place after dinner?"

"Yep."

"Well, we haven't had dinner yet," Auggie teased.

"I'm sure we could scrounge something up," Annie said, leaning into him until their foreheads touched.

"Annie?"

"Yes, Auggie?"

"Would you like to come inside?"

Annie nodded, her actions causing their noses to bump, and she giggled. Pressing a quick kiss against her lips, she stepped back, allowing Auggie to open his apartment door.

Chapter 8: Just you and me

Annie walked into the apartment behind Auggie, sliding the door shut. She'd been in the place a few times in the past, but now she hesitated, leaning back against the door. Auggie walked through to his bedroom, shrugging off his jacket. She watched him throw it on his bed and kick off his shoes, placing them near the wall.

She, in turn, slipped off her heels and placed them by the wall next to the door. She hesitated, though, to walk any further into the room. So far, their new relationship had consisted of a few dinner dates, one concert, and always ended with passionate, if short, kisses and a few hugs. Now, though, all pretense and flirtation came to bear as they were alone for the first time in his apartment.

Her mind flashed back to the first time she'd been there, when she'd found an errant black silk nylon on the couch. He'd later confessed to "dating" a skanky reporter to gain inside information on a CIA leak, but the sight of his bed that morning, with its sheets strewn all over, stayed with her. It'd been the first time she'd come to realize how sexual a person Auggie really was, and ever since, she'd taken a closer notice of the days he'd come into work a little later than normal, and how, once or twice, he'd still be wearing the same dress shirt and jacket as the day before.

And now she was in the role of Auggie's girlfriend, and though the prospect of joining him between those silver and black sheets promised heaven to her, she hesitated. Would he expect her to stay the night? Did he assume that this would be the same as his other relationships? She wasn't a saint, nor a virgin, but –

"Annie?" Auggie asked, stepping out of the bedroom, confusion knitting his brow as he realized he hadn't heard her move away from the door since they arrived. "You okay with leftover pasta?"

When she didn't answer, Auggie tilted his head, and holding out his hand, walked toward her. "Hey, you okay?"

Pushing herself off of the door, Annie took his proferred hand, squeezing his fingers. "Leftover pasta sounds great," she said, swallowing quickly when she realized her voice sounded higher than normal. She started to walk towards the kitchen area, but was pulled back by Auggie's hand.

"Annie, what's going on?"

Looking into his soft brown eyes, she knew she couldn't keep up the pretense any longer. "I'm not sure what's going on here, what's happening."

"Well, I was going to heat up some delicious pasta I made yesterday, and we were going to eat it," Auggie said, slightly confused at her sudden mood change. "What did you think was going to happen?"

Annie took a deep breath, knowing the do-or-die moment had come, and she suddenly felt very unsure of herself, which wasn't a normal feeling for her. "And after we eat?"

It took Auggie a few seconds and some quick thinking to understand what she was talking about, and he shook his head, swallowing a smile. Annie may be one of the most exciting, forthright and confident women he'd ever met, but every so often, she'd show such vulnerability that he had to fight the urge to wrap her in his arms and hold her forever.

"I've got a few new DVDs I haven't seen yet, how about we enjoy a movie?" he asked.

"And then?"

Ahh, there it is, Auggie thought, nodding his head almost imperceptibly. For a brief second, he cursed his past interactions with the opposite sex. Though they'd served their purpose, he saw now how they'd colored her perception of him. Lifting their still clasped fingers to his lips, he pressed a kiss against the back of her hand.

"Remember what I told you earlier? We can take this as slowly as you want, or not at all, though that wouldn't be my first choice."

"But –"

"Uh-uh, no buts. No past. No one else. Just you and me. And you're calling the shots."

Auggie waited, patiently, as she mulled his words, and hearing hearing her sigh – the "relieved, happy" sigh he'd come to call it – he smiled. Pulling her hand up to his mouth again, he pressed another, softer kiss against the smooth skin before taking a step backward.

"Come on, you can make the salad while I take care of the pasta. Deal?"

"Deal," Annie said, walking hand-in-hand with him toward the kitchen.

The next afternoon, Auggie found himself standing outside of Curtis' new apartment building, after having paid off the cab driver. He'd thought to call him prior to actually heading over, but there was always the chance he'd brush him off or not answer his phone at all. So, after ascertaining from the cab driver that a 2010 Ford Fusion was parked on the street, Auggie told him he could drive off.

Pulling his cellphone from his pocket, he stood on the sidewalk and dialed Curtis' number.

"Hello?"

"Curtis, it's Auggie, and before you hang up, you should know I'm standing outside your apartment building, and the cab I rode in to get here has already left."

"Dude, are you serious?"

"As a heart attack. So either invite me up, or feel responsible for me trying to walk home."

"Didn't think you'd want to talk to me after, well, you know."

"I do, so are you going to let me in, or what?"

Ten minutes later, the two former soldiers were seated across from each other at a card table that Curtis was using to eat off of, nursing strong cups of coffee. Auggie tried to hide the smirk he felt coming when Curtis offered him the drink instead of a normal beer. Guess he was still feeling the aftereffects of the previous night's intoxication.

"You should have told me you were dating Annie."

Auggie shook his head, "We didn't tell anyone."

"But still –"

"But still what, man? Aside from asking her to take you sightseeing, you never said anything to me about your intentions, either."

Curtis scoffed and took a drink of his overly strong coffee. "Are we seriously having a 'I sat her first' conversation?"

"So to speak," Auggie deadpanned.

Curtis froze for a second, realizing his choice of words, then seeing the twinkle in Auggie's eyes and the slight turning up at the corner of his mouths, he laughed out loud. Auggie soon joined in, and Curtis clapped his hand on his buddy's shoulder.

Auggie winced at the movement, "Dude, you've gotta stop doing that, unless you plan on paying for my chiropractor."

Curtis laughed again, "Getting soft behind that desk, Anderson?"

"No, but according to what Annie says, you'll soon be pushing paper, too, you know."

"Yep, gonna join the land of the desk jockeys, my friend. Speaking of Annie, think she's gonna ever speak to me again?"

"Don't know, why don't you ask her yourself?" Auggie asked, pulling out his cellphone. Hitting the speed dial, he was soon talking to her.

"Hey, Annie."

"Hey, yourself. Where are you? I tried calling your apartment, but got your voicemail."

"I'm at Curtis' apartment. Want to join us?"

"Oh, Auggie, I don't know. Are you two planning to go all Thunderdome on me again?"

Auggie clenched the phone in his fingers as he felt his heart melt just a little bit. Seriously, he thought, this girl was too much. "No, I promise, no cage matches. Curtis just needs to know that you don't hate him."

"Of course, I don't hate him. I'll be over soon."

At the knock on his door, Curtis stood, wiping his suddenly damp hands against the legs of his jeans. Glancing at Auggie, he saw the man give him a nod and a thumbs up. Garnering an acceptance of his apology from his old buddy was a cakewalk compared to what awaited him on the other side of the door. He'd realized last night as he lay in bed and the alcohol was wearing off that he and drinking definitely did not mix, and silently promised himself to give it up altogether.

It obviously caused more problems than it did solutions to his life worries, and he wasn't sure he could spend his life apologizing to his friends.

"Annie, thanks for coming over," he said, opening the door to let her in. Her welcoming smile gave him a bit of hope, and he ushered her over to the table Auggie was currently sitting at. "Can I get you some coffee?"

"No, that's not necessary, Curtis. But thank you."

Curtis took his own seat across from her, and breathing deeply, he said, "Annie, I am deeply sorry for what I did and said yesterday. You have every right to hate me, but I'm hoping we can still be friends."

"I don't hate you, Curtis," Annie said, reaching over and patting his hand. "And the fault lies partly with me. I really should have told you Auggie and I had started dating. It's just that, well, we –"

"Hadn't told anyone," Curtis finished for her. "Yeah, Aug here told me. Still doesn't excuse me getting drunk and going all apeshit on you."

"No, it doesn't, but it's understandable."

Curtis nodded, and taking a drink of his coffee, he noted how her hand had slid across the table and was now resting in the palm of Auggie's. They both seemed so totally relaxed and into each other, he wondered why he hadn't seen the affection between them from the beginning, even if Auggie had insisted at the beginning that they were "just friends."

Raising his mug in a salute to the both of them, he drained the last of his coffee. "By the way, Annie, you wouldn't happen to have a sister, would you?"

"Yes, I do," Annie said.

"Really?"

"Yeah, she's a couple years older than I am, but she's pretty and blonde."

Curtis' eyes opened wider, and he was about to reply when Annie continued.

"And married."

"Aww, damn."

THE END


	8. Diverting from the Path

**Chapter 1**

Stu Heatherton knew his job at the DPD was thankless. Even though support staff far outnumbered the officers, they're never the ones who got the medals or the glory, had tales told about them around the water cooler. He preferred it that way, really. Adulation, he believed, shifted focus away from what was important.

Emotions clouded judgment, and he wouldn't allow himself to go down that road again. He'd spent his whole life building his skill set, padding his resume. Even his time now as tech support for the Domestic Protection Divisio of the CIA served only as a pit stop toward his main goals. He was still young, though, just 25, and he could wait a while longer.

And while he waited, he learned, studied from the best of those around him. Sitting in classrooms learning from monotonous drones of professors or reading from black-and-white texted books had their place in the cerebral world, but one shouldn't underestimate the power of learning through observation.

And that's what he was doing now, as he sat on a stool at the end of the bar. Several of his co-workers were scattered around the large, airy tavern. Some playing darts, others gathered around tables, pitchers of beer being passed around. He watched their interactions, knowing that none of them would recognize him to approach him, and he preferred it that way. His dress and demeanor were a far cry from what they saw in the office. It was how he liked it.

His hair fell into his eyes, free of the gel he used to slick it back into the buttoned-down image he portrayed during daylight hours. Gone, too, were the suit-and-tie combo uniform required within the office walls. Personally, he'd always been more of a t-shirt and jeans man, complete with a stylish jacket. They were more his style.

He tapped his near-empty bottle on the wooden bar to get the pretty barmaid's attention, "Another." While she went to retrieve it, he drained the remaining drops and slid it away from him. It skittered further than he meant to push it, and he was about to reach for it to stop it from crashing to the ground when another hand wrapped around the bottle and set it back in front of him.

The fingers brushed his as they did so, and he looked up to the face they belonged to. Annie Walker. Her brighter-than-sunshine blonde hair bounced around her shoulders as she moved, and she had shed her suit jacket. Her bare arms flexed as she leaned against the bar.

"Here you go," she said, setting the empty bottle in front of him again with a smile.

"Thanks, Annie," Stu said quietly, a knowing smile on his lips. As her head turned towards him again at the sound of her name, his smile widened. Though he usually didn't waste time with the flirty CIA female contingent, the newest officer to join their ranks caused him to rethink his work-first way of thinking.

She was looking at him now, her eyes wide. He could see her thinking, and her eyes sliding from his face down his body in order to gain some kind of recognition. That slight movement caused his heart to beat just a tad faster, and he allowed it, just for now. She didn't recognize him, and he enjoyed the subterfuge.

"I'm sorry, do I know you?" she asked, taking a step closer to him.

"I'm afraid so," Stu said, keeping his voice low so that she'd have to move in closer to hear him over the din of the crowd. "Though I'd rather keep my profile low in here, I'd be willing to make an exception in your case."

The barmaid returned with his beer and turned to Annie, asking her if she needed a refill of the empty pitcher she had sat in front of her. She didn't hear her at first, and the barmaid had to ask again. Stu saw her blink twice and turn to the woman, giving her order.

Stu smiled at the effect he seemed to be having on her. Of course, if he did give her his name, the game would end there, and he'd just as soon keep up the ruse. Anne Walker never looked twice at him in the office, and he believed if he did give her his name, she wouldn't recognize it.

"You're here with friends?" Stu asked, keeping his eyes locked with her face as he took a long drink from his beer.

"Yes, well, actually, some coworkers," she said, turning her head around at the table she just vacated. "Though it seems I'll be driving home alone, now. Again."

"Why is that?" Stu asked.

"Take a look," Annie said, nodding towards the corner table.

Stu followed her gaze to see a familiar sight. He knew she'd come with Auggie, Jai and Conrad, but all three now were paired with what he called the tavern coeds. Young grad students hovered around the edges of the bar at all times, and in all the times he'd visited this place, no one seemed to go home alone. The tavern should hire itself out as a dating agency, he thought.

"Does that happen often?" he asked, turning his gaze back to her.

"Often enough," she said wryly.

"Would you like to join me?" he asked, keeping his voice light and friendly. He didn't want to frighten her away by coming on too strong.

"As soon as you tell me your name, perhaps. You never said how you know mine," she replied.

"Stuart. And we've met at your - shall we say your place of work?" Stu said slowly, wondering if she'd make the connection.

"Stuart?" A dawning looking of recognition came slowly to her face, and he studied it carefully. Would she accept him as the man she saw in front of her now, or would the preconception of the buttoned-down quiet assistant of Auggie's be forever imbedded in her brain?

"From work?" Annie asked, the small smile on her face widening into a broad grin. Her eyes once again took in his face, the lock of hair that fell into his eyes, the grey leather jacket stretched over his shoulders and the black jeans that encased his legs. The second perusal of his form was almost more than he could take, and if she didn't make a move soon, he'd have to excuse himself.

Nodding, Stu mimicked her perusal of him, taking in her white silk tank, the deep V showing just enough cleavage, and the tight black skirt that flared just at the knees. When his gaze made its way back up to her eyes, he smiled at the look on her face.

Her eyes met his, and with a look over her shoulder to the table she'd come from, she said, "Let me deliver this first."

"Of course," Stu said, watching her thread her way back to the table. Yeah, he preferred to keep his mind occupied with work and his career plans to get ahead, but sometimes, every once in a while, the right diversion walked into that path.

And as Annie settled herself on the stool next to his, her knee slightly grazing his thigh as she did so, he could allow himself to be pulled away for a while.

**Chapter 2: Chapter 2**

Stu watched her as she waves the bartender back over to their corner of the bar. Deep down, he was high-fiving himself that the most beautiful woman he'd ever met had joined him for a drink. But seriously, he wondered at her reasons for doing so. He'd never been one to draw in admirers, and part of that was by design. If you never put out vibes that you're available, then the offers are few and far between.

"Ice water, please," Annie told the barmaid, who greeted the order with a raised eyebrow, but said nothing and walked away.

"You're not drinking?" Stu asked.

"Designated driver," Annie said wryly. "Though my services probably won't be needed tonight."

"You don't mind if I -" Stu asked, raising his bottle to her.

"No, you go ahead, I'm fine going dry for one night," she said, raising her newly delivered frosty glass to his bottle, clicking them together. "Salud."

Taking a long draw from his beer, Stu closed his eyes, allowing the alcoholic beverage to slide down his throat. He wasn't a heavy drinker, and usually one or two were enough to calm his nerves and take the edge off a long day. When he opened them again, he felt her gaze on him and looked over at her.

Her eyes were half-closed, and her thoughtful stare was making him slightly uncomfortable. "How was your day today?" he asked, hoping the small talk would ease the atmosphere she was unintentionally creating.

Instead of answering, though, Annie asked a question of her own, "Why are you here alone?"

She was blunt, he thought, smirking. It was one of the things he liked about her, and obviously, what his co-workers found attractive about her, as well, given the attention paid to her since her first day on the job.

"No reason, really. Just prefer observing, and the local tavern coeds aren't really my style. And since I've realized that no one recognizes me out of the suit, it makes the task of learning through others' actions all the much easier," Stu explained.

"Mm-hmm," Annie murmured, taking a drink from her glass. "And what secrets of the universe have you learned so far through all this observation of the human condition?"

Stu blinked, stunned at her deadpan question. Never before had he let someone so close into his psyche enough to ask that question, and truthfully, he didn't have an answer. He'd allowed his life to settle into watching and learning, gathering information and moving on. The question as to why he did so or what he ascertained through it never occurred to him.

"I - I don't - why do you ask?" Stu blundered out, shifting slightly away from her.

With a heavy sigh, Annie drained her glass of water and set the glass on the bar. "No reason, I guess being alone has it advantages. I'll leave you to it, then."

Seeing her moving to slide off the stool and leave, Stu's right arm shot out and latched onto her wrist with a suddenness he himself didn't realize he had. The touch set off a subtle shock that zapped up his arm, and he looked at her face. Her eyes were on her arm where his hand lay, and her mouth opened slightly. Her breath also came a little quicker, as well, and he was startled to find the same reaction he was experiencing mirrored in her, as well.

"Stay," Stu whispered, releasing his grip on her arm, keeping his gaze on her face. As she sat down, he breathed a sigh of relief and waited for her to look at him before he continued. "Annie, I've concentrated all my life, through college and beyond, to other jobs and now at the DPD, on furthering my career. I'd never put much effort or wanted to, for that matter, into cultivating personal relationships."

Startled at the words that tumbled out of his mouth, Stu grabbed his beer bottle and took another long swallow. He felt severely out of his element and didn't know exactly how to proceed now. When she hadn't responded, he looked back at her.

Annie wasn't sure what to make of the normally quiet man sitting next to her. Prior to a little while ago, she didn't know much about him, save what he did at the office. His appearance now was a striking difference from his normal suit and tie ad slicked-backed hair, and frankly, she found his casual look rather attractive. She'd joined him for a drink to save herself from joining the boys and their new dates, but his now sudden confession intrigued her.

Turning more towards him, she took in his dark hair as it hung over his forehead, his smooth tan skin and dark brow. Had he dressed like this at the office, she was sure he'd compete with Auggie for the attentions of the female staff, but he intentionally shied away from that kind of life.

Looking into his eyes as they stared back at her, she was startled to find a kind of sadness under the confident, cool exterior. Reaching out, she placed her hand on his as it rested on the smooth wood of the bar. "Hey, you can't just shut yourself off from people like this. Observation and learning is a lovely idea, and it'll get you moving in the world, but it sounds a bit lonely."

Stu reveled in the warmth emanating from her fingers to his hand. It'd been a long time - several years, in fact, not since college - that he'd been involved with someone, felt their touch.

"So what are you saying? I should take a page from Auggie's book?" Stu asked, smiling and nodding towards the retreating back of their coworker as he walked out of the bar on the elbow of his latest conquest.

Annie laughed, "No, I'm not saying you should just take the first thing that comes along, but maybe taking one step outside? One evening out with someone?"

"Are you offering?" Stu asked quietly, taking a plunge that he knew would either end in her walking off in a huff or -

"Yes, I am," Annie answered quickly. If Stu was startled at his brazenness of asking Annie Walker out, she was even more stunned at her answer. But the sweet smile that spread across his face made her heart melt - just a little - and she returned it.

"Wow, so we're going out?" Stu asked, not quite sure how to proceed. For all his watching and learning, the situation he found himself in now had no set course. He'd sought only a diversion to the usually quiet night, but found something much more intriguing.

"Yeah, guess so," Annie said with a small laugh. "Dinner tomorrow?"

"Okay," Stu said. "But Annie, one favor first? Could you not tell -"

"Don't worry," Annie said, standing up from the bar stool. Leaning over to him, she pressed a soft kiss against his cheek and whispered, "Your secret identity is safe with me. We'll keep this between ourselves."

**Chapter 3: Chapter 3**

Stu's fingers flew over his keyboard, inputting line after line of code into the computer, relishing the adrenaline rush. Auggie had given him what he called an unbreakable encrypted file, knowing he'd love the challenge. Sure, it took close to two hours to even make a dent in it, but he'd found one flaw, imbedded deep, and proceeded to work out from there.

"If you need the weekend to finish that, Stu, I'm sure Joan would approve the overtime," Auggie smirked at him from his desk across the room.

"Almost done, actually, unless you've got another cyber puzzle for me to work on?" Stu replied.

"Seriously?" Auggie asked, eyebrows raising. "Good work, my man. I'll prepare the final report to hand in as soon as you've got that done."

The door to the office slid open, but Stu kept his eyes on the monitor, keeping close track of the numbers and characters as they slid across the screen. Nearly there, he thought. His intense concentration was broken, though, when he heard their visitor speak.

"Hey, Auggie, you got that report done? I've got to include it in my packet for Joan."

Stu's fingers hesitated for a second, but soon resumed their movement across the keyboard. He stole a glance up at her over his monitor, catching a glimpse of blonde hair and dark blue blazer. True to her word, Annie hadn't spoken a word of their impending night out, and he'd arrived at work in his customary grey suit and blue shirt, hair slicked back out of his eyes.

The only difference today showed from yesterday was the slight flutter he felt in his chest at the sound of her voice. Thankfully, he had enough work in front of him to keep him busy, or else he was sure he'd probably find himself seeking her out. Not to talk, but just to see her and know that what happened last night was real.

Annie intrigued him, had ever since she'd joined their ranks a year ago, and her intrusion into his carefully constructed lifestyle seemed to not be the burden he thought it might be.

"Just finishing it up here, thanks to Stu. The man's a genius when it comes to the type of cyber encryption we encountered," Auggie said.

"Is that so?" Annie said, turning around to face the tech agent. "And here I thought you were a one-man army in these matters. Tell me, Stu, does Auggie often talk you into doing his hard work?"

Stu glanced up again from his monitor. Annie smiled at him, a knowing twinkle in her eye. "Just doing my part to help out," he said, returning her smile with a small one of his own.

"You're too modest," she said, walking around his desk to stand behind him. Leaning down, her hair fell over his shoulder, lighting brushing the side of his face. She looked at the lines of code being inputted by his fast-moving fingers and asked, "How do you do that without getting dizzy?"

"Intense concentration," Stu said, never looking away from his monitor. After she didn't move away, he turned his head towards her, startled at how close she was to him. Lowering his voice so Auggie wouldn't hear, he whispered, "Which you're not helping."

Turning her head towards him, Annie eyes met his, and she saw again the confident, straight-laced exterior soften as it did last night. She was about to whisper back when the sound of Auggie's computer beeping made her jump slightly. Straightening up, she slipped her hand into her jacket pocket and withdrew a slip of folded paper and slid it under the corner of Stu's keyboard. "Guess we'll have this ready by end of day, huh?"

"That's right," Auggie said, standing up. Leaning against his desk, he asked, "Care to join the group again at Allen's? You disappeared the other night rather quickly."

"Given how that brunette was draped over your shoulders, I'm surprised you even noticed I was gone," Annie said, walking towards the door. "Didn't think my services as a designated driver were needed anymore, so I went home."

"Okay, point taken," Auggie laughed. "Tonight, I promise to call a cab, and you can join in on the fun. I've got a buddy who -"

"No, thanks, Auggie," Annie interrupted. "Catch me next time, though? I've got plans for tonight."

Catching Stu's eye as she slid open the door, she gave a flirty, surreptitious wink as she left.

"She's got plans?" Auggie said, sitting back down in his chair again. "Think the girl's holding out on us. What about you, Stu? Care to join us?"

"No, thanks. You know I'm not a big drinker," Stu said, watching as the final few digits flashed across the screen at him. He took a deep breath and blinked several times to clear his vision. "Besides, we've got a final report to put together. I've finished."

"Excellent. Shoot that over to me, and we can give Annie the good news," Auggie said, running his fingers over his Brailler monitor.

While his coworker finalized the report, Stu sat back in his chair, eyeing the paper Annie slipped under his keyboard. He picked it up and unfolded it. "7:00 p.m.," it read, and under it she had written her address.

There it was, written proof that he was taking Annie Walker out on a date. Suddenly, he felt a wave of nervousness wash over him. He hadn't been out on a date for a few years, and never one with someone like her. He fought against the sudden urge to walk out of the office and cancel. The carefully constructed walls he'd built up over the past several years seemed to crack a bit as he stared at the flowing script on the paper.

Just the few seconds of nearness they'd experienced a moment ago was enough to cause his pulse to race. The feeling wasn't too unlike the thrill he got when he'd finally broken through the encrypted code a few hours ago. But, he thought, it was much sweeter. And no amount of work in the cyber world compared to the softness of her hands as they clasped his last night nor the feeling of her hair as it had brushed his face.

No, he'd keep the date, he decided, though his initial reasons for approaching the intriguing woman, as merely a diversion in his usually staid life, were becoming more and more complex.

**Chapter 4: Chapter 4**

Taking a deep breath, Stu knocked on Annie's front door. He hoped he'd looked all right. She'd mentioned dinner only, and he'd opted for dress casual, dark blue fitted jeans and a white dress shirt.

The door opened, and the greeting he was about to say died on his lips. He'd never seen her in anything but the conservative suits she wore to work. She now wore a white flowing summer dress that fitted her waist and swirled down to her knees. Her bare legs ended in a pair of leather sandals.

As his gaze moved back up to her face, she smiled at him. "Hello, Stu. I guess I look okay?"

"You look wonderful," Stu confessed.

"Is that for me?" Annie asked, taking a step towards him and gesturing to his hand.

Stu looked down to where she pointed. "Oh, yeah, sorry. I thought you might like this," he said, handing her the single flower.

Taking it from him, Annie regarded it so closely, Stu thought maybe he'd made a mistake. "I - I know it's not from a florist or anything, and maybe you don't like flowers, but my neighbor's got this wildflower garden growing wild, and - well, I just thought you'd like it," he stumbled.

Bringing the orange and gold daisy-like petals to her face, Annie breathed in its subtle fragrance. "No, Stu, it's beautiful. Thank you," she said. "It's just been a while since anyone's ever given me flowers."

Turning, she said, "Just let me put this in some water, and we can go."

So far, so good, Stu thought. Seeing a flash of light to his right, he turned to see a curtain flutter back into place at the larger house. Annie mentioned in her note that she lived in the guest house at the address, but she never said whose guest she was. The curtain stayed close, though.

"I haven't eaten since lunch," Annie said, joining him again. "Where are we going?"

As the waitress left their table, Stu leaned over and asked, "So what do you think?"

"I think I've found my new favorite restaurant in Arlington. How did you find this place?" Annie asked, looking around at the eclectic decor.

"I don't live too far from here," Stu said. "And nobody beats Smith's for their gourmet sandwiches."

"Gourmet sandwiches?" Annie asked, laughing. "I saw the bar through the door there. Don't tell me you haven't spent some nights guzzling down beer and munching the chicken nuggets."

"Oh, come on, Annie. You know I don't go out much, except -" Stu said, dropping his gaze to the table.

"Except when you're trying to nail down the human condition through observation and learning?" Annie said quietly, taking a drink of her water. "You can be honest with me, you know. You've brought dates here before, admit it."

"Not since college, really," Stu confessed. "And it was usually with a group of us."

"Tell me about her," Annie said, leaning on the table.

"Excuse me?" he said, wondering where this topic of conversation was going.

"The girl you brought here before," Annie said, searching Stu's eyes.

"Annie, what -" Stu stuttered before shaking his head. "I thought confessions about prior relationships was the first rule of what not to do on a first date."

Smirking, Annie sat back in her chair. "Just trying to level the playing field a bit. I really don't know much about you, except what you do at work."

"I thought you were a spy," Stu whispered, leaning over the table. "Shouldn't know you know everything about me already?"

"Stu, prior to yesterday, the only thing I knew about you was the fact that Auggie had a very capable, very cute assistant that hardly says anything."

Coloring at her frank assessment, Stu asked, "And now?"

"Now," Annie continued, "within 24 hours, I've found that same capable assistant has a dry sense of humor, is very dependable and committed, dresses like a model while not at work, and has an intriguing personality."

Before Stu could reply, their waitress arrived with their food, giving him a chance to process what she had said. A small part of him wanted to run through the streets yelling, a la Rudolph in that chessy Christmas movie, "She thinks I'm cute!" Thankfully, though, he had his hot panini to settle his thoughts for the next few minutes.

Between bites of her own grilled Reuben, Annie said, "So, are you at least going to tell me her name?"

"Annie, is that really important?" Stu said, groaning.

"Given the fact that you probably already know everything about my past, like I said, I prefer a level playing field."

"What do you mean, everything about your past?" Stu said, perplexed.

"You know what I mean," Annie said, sighing and laying down her sandwich. Looking across the table at Stu's face, she was surprised to find it full of confusion. Oh, my God, she thought. He really didn't know what she was talking about. She'd assumed through the CIA gossip mill and Ben's high-profile return to the CIA last year, her personal life was an open book at the DPD, but apparently, Stu had either not paid attention to the details or really knew nothing.

As he looked at her, expectant and wondering, she felt a sudden sting of tears in her eyes and averted her gaze to her plate. Ever since Ben died in her arms, the few men she'd involved herself with tried in vain to "fix" her or take care of her, both of which left her feeling cold and used. Now, though, the man she found herself sharing a dinner with on a Friday night knew nothing of that, knew nothing of her hurt or her tainted love life. A man who last night looked at her with eyes full of his own sadness.

She felt his fingers touch her arm, and she looked up at him.

"Annie? Did I say something? What's wrong?" Stu asked, his eyes full of concern.

"No, Stu, actually, you've done everything exactly right," Annie said, smiling wide. And deep down, she knew it was the truth.

Pushing the restaurant door open, Stu stood to the side while Annie walked through. He'd never found out what made her suddenly sad during their dinner, as she intentionally turned the conversation back to safer topics. They soon found out they shared a similar taste in movies and spent the rest of the meal and then dessert debating the merits of an Alien movie without Sigourney Weaver.

The pitch black sky showed a few stars winking through the passing clouds. The summer air was warm, though, and as a breeze kicked up, Stu paused, allowing the cooling wind to wash over him.

"Stu?" Annie asked, watching as he closed his eyes and raised his head toward the sky. His features softened, and the ever-present lock of hair swung back over his forehead.

"Hmm?" he asked, opening his eyes and smiling at her.

"It's still early. Want to go for a drink?" Annie said, taking a step closer to him.

"Sure," Stu said, with a laugh. "How about at the Tavern?"

"God, no," Annie chuckled. "Okay, no drink. Want to just walk for a while?"

"Yeah, okay," Stu said, cocking his head to the side. She joined him, and together they began strolling down the sidewalk. A comfortable silence fell between them; the only sound coming from their footfalls and a passing car or two.

Stu thought back over the past 24 hours and wondered where the day fell in his previously rock-solid five-year plan. He never let himself get beyond that amount of time, knowing that too structured of a life plan would be too stifling. But still, he'd never planned on including someone else in that plan, especially not someone who looked him directly in the eyes and with one look, one touch, caused a carefully constructed wall to crack.

He was contemplating that fact when he felt a brush against the back of his right hand. He looked over at Annie, who was walking along also deep in thought, her hands swinging naturally by her side. She was walking so close beside him, though, that her hand unintentionally brushed against his.

As the slight brush came again, Stu's hand turned slightly, his thumb hooking and catching her smallest finger. He heard her breath catch slightly, but her step never faltered. Instead, he felt her fingers move over his palm until they ran down into his own.

The light clasp took him back to last night when she'd placed her hand on his and told him how lonely his life sounded to her. And now, he realized, she was absolutely right. He thought his life was complete enough two days ago, but now - now he couldn't contemplate one without her.

He found himself thinking of a way to extend this date into a possible second one when he heard a cellphone ring.

"Oh, that's me," Annie said, releasing Stu's hand and reaching inside her purse. "Hello? Good evening, Joan. Huh? Oh, yes, of course. I'm in Arlington, though. I'll be there as soon as I can."

Looking up at Stu, Annie frowned, "That was Joan. Something's coming up, and I gotta head back."

"Oh, okay," Stu said, slightly disappointed. "You want me to drive you there?"

"No, I don't know how long I'll be, or what it's about," Annie said, looking up at him. "If you'll drop me off at my place, I can take my car in."

"All right," Stu said, turning to head back to where he'd parked. Her hand on his shirt sleeve, though, stayed him. "Annie, what -"

The rest of his question, though, died on his lips as she closed the few inches between them, and placing a hand on his chest, leaned up and kissed him. Stu, at first startled by her actions, froze slightly at the unexpected caress. His shock lasted only a moment, though, and he raised his hands to her face, cradling it gently. She pulled away a fraction of an inch, and Stu angled his head to the side, returning her sweet gesture with a searing kiss of his own.

**Chapter 5: Chapter 5**

Annie hurried into the DPD bullpen, looking around for Joan. Noticing the tall blonde in tech ops, she walked quickly there, sliding open the door. "I'm here, sorry it took me so long."

Joan was standing beside Auggie, who looked like he was pulled in from his night out, as well. He still wore the same outfit he had on during the day, but his eyes were tired, and he looked slightly annoyed.

"Yes, well, you did say you were in Arlington, was it?" Joan asked, looking her junior agent over, right eyebrow cocking at her outfit. "I didn't interrupt anything important, did I?" she asked wryly.

"No, just having dinner with a friend," Annie said, walking up to them. "So what's the big emergency?"

"I was scanning your report, and unfortunately, the data Auggie and his team recovered coincides with a much bigger threat," Joan said, sliding effortlessly into boss mode.

"Bigger threat? But I thought it began and ended with Hamilton. What other threat is there?" Annie asked.

"The decoding performed by Auggie's team matched a similar type of encryption found last month. We weren't able to break it then, but we should be able to do it now," Joan explained. "Auggie's got all the information you need. As soon as you're done, you're all free for the weekend."

Turning on her heel, Joan walked toward the door. As she slid it open, she turned to them, "And Annie, you do own a mirror, don't you?"

"What?" Annie asked.

Pointing to her own cheek, Joan replied, "Lipstick." With a sympathetic smile, she left the room.

"Ah, hell," Annie said, grabbing a tissue off of Auggie's desk and clearing her cheek of the evidence of Stu's passionate return of her good night kiss.

Hearing Auggie clear his throat, she turned to him and said, "What?"

"Lipstick smear, and from the sound of the way it swishes when you walk, you're wearing a flowing dress? You were out on a date, weren't you?" Auggie asked, smiling over at her.

"Like I told Joan, Auggie, I was having dinner with a friend," Annie said defensively. "And given the bags under your eyes, I'm sure you were pulled away from the local coeds at Allen's?"

"Hey," Auggie said, his voice softening, "It's me, you don't have to get all defensive. If you have found someone new, I'm glad for you, really."

"Thanks," Annie said, feeling bad that she'd snapped at him. "And I'm sorry for raising my voice. Just looking forward to a free weekend, for once."

"You and me both," Auggie replied, turning in his chair toward his computer. "But we should be able to crank this out tonight and have plenty more weekend to enjoy."

"And how are we going to do that?" Annie said, settling herself in Stu's chair across from him. "I don't even understand exactly how that file was encrypted in the first place."

"Don't worry, I've brought in a ringer, if he ever plans on getting here. I called him half an hour ago."

"A ringer?" Annie said tiredly. "How many of you are there here?"

Auggie laughed, "Nobody new, but he might have a problem with you sitting in his chair when he gets here."

Annie smiled, her mood instantly lifted. "Stu? You've called him in?"

If Auggie noticed the sudden turn of her mood and lightness in her voice, he didn't show it.

"Yep, a little while ago, left a message for him to get here as soon as he could. Maybe I should give him another call. We're never going to get through this without his help," Auggie said.

Catching movement in the bullpen, Annie saw Stu walking through talking to Joan. He'd obviously gone home after dropping her off at her place, and made an attempt at office attire by throwing a suit jacket over the white button-down he'd worn that night. He hadn't changed his jeans, but his hair was now swept back off his forehead.

"No need to call him again," Annie said, watching as he walked towards the office. "He's here."

The door slid open, and Stu stepped in, "Hey, Auggie, I got your message. What's so important?"

"What's important is that you answer your phone every once in a while," Auggie said somewhat testily. "You said you weren't going anywhere tonight."

Annie started at the anger in Auggie's voice. She was about to defend Stu, but he started talking.

"No, Aug, I said I didn't want to hang out at the bar with you and the guys. I got your message, and instead of wasting time calling you back, I headed straight here," Stu said emphatically. "Now, do you want to waste more time arguing, or should we get to work? Joan's already filled me in on what needs to be done."

Stunned at his assistant's out-of-the-ordinary speech, Auggie said, "Yeah, sorry, Stu. I'm just tired. How about I grab us some coffee? It's going to be a long night."

"Sounds great," Stu said, turning towards his desk on the other side of the room, but stopping suddenly when he saw Annie sitting in his chair.

"Annie?" Auggie asked, before leaving. "Want some?"

"Yeah, sure," Annie said, never taking her eyes off of Stu. She'd never known him to talk back to his boss, even if it were warranted, and, she thought, the confident demeanor suited him.

As the door slid shut behind Auggie, Stu walked across the room to his desk, resting on the edge in front of her. "Hi."

"Hi," Annie replied, feeling somewhat shy as his eyes swept over her. The shyness slipped away, though, as Stu leaned forward and softly brushed his lips across hers. The caress was over too quick, though, as he pulled away.

"What was that for?" she asked.

"For making my night. Auggie didn't say in his message that you'd be here, too," Stu said. "I know Joan called you in, but I assumed that you'd be flying off to another country by now."

Shaking her head, Annie said, smiling, "Nope, my case, so I'm here, as well." Standing, she stepped aside to give him back his seat. Walking past him to retrieve another chair, she was startled when his arm caught hers and pulled her back against him as he leaned against the desk.

"What are you doing?" Annie whispered, catching her balance on his arms. "Aren't you afraid of getting caught?"

"Joan's left, and Auggie will be another few minutes," Stu said, setting his hands on her waist. "And considering you'll be in the room when I'm trying to concentrate on my work, I thought I'd get this out of the way first."

Pulling her more flush against him, Stu dipped his head towards hers, capturing her lips in the same searing kiss they'd experienced only an hour ago. Annie softened against him, and her grip on his arms eased, her hands wrapping around his back.

The sound of the door sliding open again broke them apart. Annie stepped back as if she were stung, and for the first and only time in her life, she was grateful Auggie didn't have the ability to see what had happened right in front of him.

As she walked away, Stu settled himself behind his computer, powering it up and logging on. His mind and heart raced at what just happened, and he couldn't quite believe what he'd done it, either. Making out with Annie Walker in the middle of tech ops definitely broke every HR protocol, not to mention his own code of conduct. But ever since Annie's hand first clasped his, and then a moment later when she'd given him for the most amazing kiss he'd ever had in his life, he could think of nothing else save experiencing it again and again.

Those metaphorical brick walls were tumbling down faster than he could shore them back up, and looking across the room at the reason for it, he wondered why he had ever put them there in the first place.

**Chapter 6: Chapter 6**

"Annie!"

Turning at the sound of her name, Annie saw Stu walking up behind her from the food court, holding two Starbucks containers. Though she missed the fitted blue jeans and leather jacket from the previous weekend, Annie decided he looked just as cute in the dark grey suit he now wore, though she yearned to run her hands through his slicked back hair.

"Hey," Stu said quietly, catching up to her. "Thought you'd like some coffee." Handing one to her, he smiled softly, enjoying the seconds-long touch of her fingers against his. "See you later?"

Annie nodded and watched him walk down the hall towards their department. Only four days prior, he would have walked past her in this same hallway, and they'd only nod at each other. It'd been a long time since she'd fallen so hard for someone, so fast. The ride was dizzying, but safer and sounder than any other foray into the romance department she'd ever experienced.

"Annie, going to need you today," Joan said, walking up to her, pulling her out of her thoughts. "Conference room in half-hour."

Nodding at her boss, she joined her as they walked toward the department.

Stu was still reading his e-mail when Auggie returned from the briefing he'd left for an hour ago. The man appeared to be deep in thought, and he wondered what type of mission briefing would cause such consternation. Turning back to his monitor, he figured it had nothing to do with him. He rarely was directly involved with any specific mission; his duties specifically listed him as tech analyst, and he kept his mind focused on them.

Auggie sat at his desk, and hearing his co-worker's fingers tapping across his computer keyboard, said, "Hey, Stu, got some news for you."

"Good or bad?" Stu asked with a smirk.

"Joan was impressed by your work last week with the file encryption, and your work ethic over the past year in general, and she's decided to give you a try at handling a mission," Auggie announced.

Stu's eyes grew wide at his words. "Are you serious?"

"Very," Auggie said, laughing. He could have bet money on the man's reaction and won. "You've always said you've wanted to move up here, and the time has come."

"Wow, I can't believe it," Stu said, sitting back in his chair. Finally, his hard work was paying off. "Any idea what kind of mission?"

"To start off with, just a brush-pass. And I'll be there with you," Auggie explained. "I'll set everything up and then pass it off to you. It'll happen later tonight, so plan on a long day."

"Sure, whatever you need," Stu replied, settling back into his chair to finish his e-mail, a self-satisfied smile spreading across his face.

Several hours later, after spending an apprehensive day waiting, Stu sat beside Auggie, watching the man as he worked, absorbing the information like a sponge. The first impression was always the best, he knew, and he'd wanted to do well on his initial assignment.

If only he could have shared the news with Annie, he thought, but when he'd gotten a chance to slip out of the office, he found that she was gone already. Auggie handed him a spare headset, and he slipped it on.

"All set?" Auggie asked.

"Ready," Stu replied.

"Then let's go," Auggie said, working his computer. The headset soon buzzed to life as the connection was made.

"It's about time you answered, Auggie," an all-too-familiar feminine voice came through the earpiece, and Stu nearly gasped.

"A little hitch here, Annie," Auggie explained to her. "Got a pinch hitter for you."

"Pinch hitter?" Annie asked with a laugh. "Since when are you into baseball analogies? And since when have you ever needed help handling a brush pass?"

"Since Joan decided to give Stu here a test run," Auggie laughed. "Don't worry, I'll be here the whole way."

"Stu?" Annie asked, sounding startled.

"Yeah, hey, Annie," Stu replied, trying to keep his voice steady. "Hope you don't mind being a guinea pig."

"No, I don't mind. Congratulations."

"Thanks."

"All right, Stu, as you can see here, Annie's mark will be a tall brunette woman with a paisley scarf. They'll meet and trade briefcases at the airport lounge," Auggie explained. "It's all yours."

Auggie rolled his chair to the side, allowing Stu to come up in front of his computer.

"Talk to me, Annie," Stu said.

"Well, she's not here yet, and I've been sitting at the bar for 15 minutes now," Annie said.

"How crowded is it?" Stu asked.

"Marginally, a lot of traffic in this airport."

"Keep your eyes open, then. Is she going to be wearing the scarf on her head or around her neck?" Stu asked.

"Oh, good point. Most women nowadays wear them as accessories around their neck, but I'll keep an eye out for babushkas," Annie laughed.

Stu rolled his eyes inwardly at the joke. How she could be so calm when personally, his heart was racing, was beyond him.

"No, thanks, I'm waiting for someone," he heard Annie say over the phone.

"Everything okay, Annie?" Stu asked, trying to hear voices over the line.

"I said I'm waiting for someone, and if you don't remove your hand, I'll have to call security," he heard Annie say, and then a clatter as the phone was apparently dropped.

Stu pressed his hand against the earpiece, straining to hear her, to hear anything. A man's voice, gruff, was shouting, and then came a deafening crash and glass breaking. "Annie!" Stu shouted, fear gripping him. "Annie!"

"Stu, stop -" Auggie said, placing a hand on Stu's shoulder.

Shrugging him off, Stu gripped the earpiece to his ear, "Annie! What's going on? Annie, please talk to me!"

"Stu!" Auggie shouted, gripping his shoulder firmly. "Just wait!"

After what seemed to be an agonizing minute, Annie's voice came back over the line. "Sorry about that, guys," she said. "Some men can't take no for an answer."

"You're all right?" Stu asked, his voice full of worry.

"Yeah, Stu, I'm okay," Annie replied softly.

"But I heard -"

"You heard a man being told I wasn't interested, and him falling drunk over a table," Annie explained. "I barely laid a hand on him."

Stu breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay," he said. "As long as you didn't get hurt. Is - is your mark there yet?"

"Yeah, actually, she just walked in," Annie said. "Be with you in a second."

The line went silent for a moment, but soon buzzed back up again. "Mission accomplished, gentlemen. I'll call when I land back in DC."

"Good work," Auggie said. "See you then."

Disconnecting the line, Auggie removed his earpiece and sat back in his chair, regarding his coworker with narrowed eyes. "You want to tell me what just went on there?"

"I - I panicked," Stu said, removing his own headset. He knew it was more than that, but letting Auggie in on his more-than-friends relationship with their co-worker was more than he could handle right now. "It won't happen again."

"No, it won't," Auggie said seriously, crossing his arms across his chest. "And there never will be again unless you tell me what's going on."

Stu sighed heavily, and dropped his head into his hands. He knew he'd lost control back there, and a wave of disappointment washed over him. "Damn it," he groaned. He knew if he had any chance of handling another mission, or moving upward at any level, he'd have to be honest with Auggie.

"Annie and I -" he started to say, wondering how he should explain what he himself didn't even fully understand as of yet. "We're dating," he said quietly, and then waited for what he knew was going to be either laughter or a shout of reprimand.

When neither came, he looked up from his hands. Auggie's mouth hung open, and he seemed to be thinking.

"You and Annie are dating?" Auggie repeated.

"Yeah, well, only since this past weekend, but -"

"This past weekend?" Auggie asked. "You mean when we got called back into the office on Friday, you two were together?"

"Yeah," Stu said. "And when I heard on the phone -"

"Say no more," Auggie said, placing a hand on Stu's shoulder. "Annie's been through a lot, and I'm glad she's found finally found someone who obviously cares for her as much as you do."

"I'm not even sure how I feel," Stu confessed. "It's just - when she -"

Auggie chuckled at his friend's stammering. "Yeah, that's usually how it is. But just tread lightly. After what Mercer did to her last fall, she needs some TLC and normalcy back in her life."

"Mercer?" Stu asked. "Who's that?"

"Ben Mercer, remember? Rogue agent. Broke her heart three years ago, then came waltzing back in. Her, Jai and he went to Sri Lanka last fall, to clean up his mess, but unfortunately, he didn't return."

Stu's confusion only grew. "Last fall? You mean in September? I wasn't in the department then, remember? I was seconded to the DST for a month."

Auggie nodded, "You're right, but surely you heard through the grapevine -"

"I don't listen to office gossip, Auggie," Stu said, thinking back to their conversation at the restaurant. "That's what she must have been talking about. She was joking about how everyone here knew about her private life, and - Oh, my God."

"You didn't know," Auggie said quietly.

"No, I didn't, but why -" Stu said, exasperatedly, "why didn't she just tell me herself?"

Auggie shook his head, "I don't know, but I have a feeling she enjoyed the fact that you didn't. And now, of course, I've completely destroyed that."

"No, Auggie, you didn't. I'm - I'm glad you told me," Stu said, standing. "And I won't let on that I know, or how I found out."

As he left the office later, Stu's mind swam with all that Auggie had inadvertently confessed to him. So Annie had her heart broken, twice, in fact, by some cowboy rogue agent, he thought. How anyone could do it even once to someone as beautiful and sweet as her was beyond his knowledge.

He'd promised Auggie not to let her know he knew her secret, but one thing he could do is make sure her heart was never broken again.

**Chapter 7: Chapter 7**

The next few weeks passed simultaneously fast and excruciatingly too slow for Stu. True to his word, Auggie never let on to Joan his behavior during his first brush-pass duty, allowing him to get more time "behind the mic," as it were. But, just to be safe, he was never assigned Annie's missions. A couple new agents had just entered their fold, and Auggie handed their cases to him.

On Annie's part, she was kept busy with missions, some as easy as the brush passes and retrieval of information. A couple were more difficult, but Annie pulled through every time. He made sure he was there for her when she came back, often exhausted and frustrated. A few nights, they were actually able to plan nights out. A slow but sure relationship was built up over cups of Starbucks, which he made sure she received every morning when they were both in the office, and, on a couple of occasions, the stolen embrace on quiet nights when the majority of the staff had left.

Slowly but surely, Anne Walker had insinuated herself into his life. His well-ordered, work-first, fun-later life. And, he soon found, she wasn't a distraction at all. Except, of course, moments such as now, when he was concentrating on watching the ballgame on Smith's Bar's large tv. Annie had insisted they return here, but only if they'd eat in the bar, drink beers and munch on chicken nuggets as they watched a game with the rest of the rowdy crowd.

She said she wanted to draw him out of more, but Stu quickly realized she was a diehard Washington Nationals fan and wanted to watch the game as much as he had. He wasn't sure if it was the longnecks she was downing or pure love of the game that made her shout at the umpire quite so much. Surmising it was the former, he'd stopped himself at two beers before switching to bottled water. Somebody had to drive them home tonight.

"Let me walk you to your door," Stu said, putting his car in park in Annie's driveway and unbuckling his seatbelt. Trotting around to her side of the car, he opened her door and grasped her hand, pulling her out and shutting the door again. She stumbled slightly, and Stu put a steadying around her waist.

"Think somebody had one too many beers," he said, as they made their way to the guest house.

"I'm not drunk, Stu," Annie said, reveling in the strong arm across her back.

"Sure you're not," he teased.

As they got to her porch, Annie turned in his embrace, wrapping both her arms around his waist. She smiled as she looked up into his soft brown eyes. A girl could get lost in those, she thought. "Admit it, you had fun tonight."

"Anytime I can spend with you I count as a great time," Stu said, resting his forehead against hers. A flash of light in his peripheral vision stopped his lowering his mouth onto hers, and he straightened up again, peering to the main house. "Annie, is your landlord a peeping Tom, or what?"

Groaning, Annie looked over at the main house to see the curtain swinging back down into place, and the shadow of her sister moving away. "No, actually, my landlord is my sister, Danielle. She's letting me stay here."

"Your sister? The one you told me about, with the husband and two kids?" Stu asked.

"Yep, and the insatiable desire to nose into my private life," Annie said, stepping back out of his embrace. Turning, she fit her key into the door lock and opened it. "Come on, we'd better get out of her line of sight."

Annie's hand grasped his, and he found himself being pulled into her living room. "Annie, maybe I'd better just get going."

Shaking her head, Annie shut the door behind them and laid her purse on the nearby table. "Not unless you want to be followed to your car and grilled as to your intentions towards me."

"She'd do that?" Stu laughed.

"She's done it, yes. Since she's happily married, her main goal in life now is to make sure I am, as well," Annie sighed, kicking off her shoes and walking toward the refrigerator. Taking out two beers, she joined Stu as he sat on the couch. "It'd be best if you hung out here a while. She'll get the idea soon enough and go to bed."

Regarding the proferred bottle in her hand, Stu said, "Annie, I have to drive home. More alcohol isn't going to help."

"So you'll call a cab," Annie said, smiling, waving the bottle at him.

Taking the beer, Stu sat back on the couch as she on the other end and swung her bare feet onto the cushion between them. She tucked the ends of the summer dress she wore under her legs and leaned back against the arm of the couch.

"So, how are your new duties coming along?" Annie asked, taking a drink of her beer.

"Great, actually. Auggie's a good teacher, though I'm surprised he let me continue given how I handled my first foray into being a handler," Stu said, scoffing lightly.

"What are you talking about?" Annie asked. "You did great, I thought. Though it was a bit of a shock hearing your voice in my ear. Nearly lost my composure for a moment," she teased.

"Yeah, I guess you were busy throwing that guy over the table after you dropped your phone," Stu said, nodding. "After hearing the crash and the glass breaking, I sort of lost it and started screaming your name into the phone. Auggie had to calm me down. I thought something had happened to you."

Annie's eyes grew wide at his admission. "Wow, I see what you mean. I was fine, though. It probably sounded worse than it looked."

"Yeah, Auggie didn't tell me you were the one I'd be handling until he handed me the headset. I was all composed and in control, and then -" Stu broke off, hastily taking a drink of his beer.

"And then?" Annie prompted.

"After you'd signed off, Auggie threatened to never allow me to handle a mission ever again unless I told him what happened. Annie, I'm sorry, I know we've been trying to keep this under wraps, but I had to tell him the truth," he said.

He half-expected her to be angry at his admission, but instead, her mouth curled up into a smile, and she was soon laughing loudly. "That explains a lot of his behavior over the past month," she said. "He's been on me about who I'm seeing, has been ever since we came back from our first date. My - oh, I can't believe this, but apparently, my lipstick was smeared, and Joan saw it."

Stu laughed along with her, "Can't put anything past that man. I swear he's part-psychic or something."

As their laughter died down, Stu thought more about his conversation with Auggie during his first mission. His thoughts soon delved into Auggie's inadvertent telling of Annie's secret. He'd never divulged what he knew about her past, believing she'd let him know if she wanted to. But seeing that she hadn't as of yet, Stu realized she needed a fresh start, free from pain of the past. And he'd done all he could over the past few weeks to give her a steady, worry-free relationship.

Still, though, he couldn't help but wonder about this Mercer guy. He'd tried to angle more information out of Auggie, but the man simply said it wasn't his place to, that it was Annie's story to tell, and he was too much of a friend to both of them to interfere.

Annie watched Stu's face as he stared down at his bottle. A sadness had crept back into his eyes, the same look that had stopped her cold that first night in the bar. She hadn't seen it since and wondered what he could be thinking to cause it. Her heart tugged inside her chest, and reaching a foot out towards him, she nudged his thigh.

"Hey," she whispered, nudging his thigh again until his eyes raised to hers. She raised an eyebrow to him and gave him a half-smile.

Returning it, Stu caught her bare foot as she nudged him again and pulled it into his lap, beginning to lightly massage it, running his hands gently over the top and up the arch. Her toes bent reflexively, and Stu's hand cradled her heel as it flexed. Her skin was unbelievably soft, he thought, losing himself in the feel.

As the tingling rose from her foot up her leg, Annie groaned inwardly. His touch, whether it was on her hand when he held it, her back when he held her, or her face when he kissed her, always affected her this way, and on the sensitive skin of her foot and ankle, her nerve endings lit on fire as they traveled up her leg. Stretching out, she placed her other foot on his lap, her eyes fluttering closed as his fingers trailed over it, as well.

Stu tried to tell himself it was the alcohol coursing through both their systems that caused her flirty behavior, but he knew deep down it wasn't. Their jobs left way too much time apart, and severely restricted any one-on-one time they were able to steal. And now, as both their cellphones lay silent, and the open weekend stretched before them, he could think of nothing else but touching her.

Almost of their own accord, his hands slid up the smooth, bare skin of her calves, continuing his delicate ministrations. Her muscles clenched and relaxed, and too soon, she was pulling her legs out of his lap.

Annie couldn't take much more and shifted, sitting up and leaning towards him. She raised a hand to his face, running her fingers down his cheek. He leaned into her caress, and Annie slid closer to him.

Catching a glimpse of something new and incomprehensible in her eyes, Stu leaned into her warmth, catching her lips with his own. He felt her other hand on his cheek, and she angled her face on his, deepening their kiss. He heard a moan deep in her chest, and as her tongue swept his mouth, his hand clenched onto her thigh.

Returning the passion of her kiss, a heat began to spread up his spine and through his body. The natural sweetness of her kiss was coupled with the beer on both their parts, and it was a heady combination.

Her hands left his face, and he felt her fingers run through his hair, alighting the nerves of his scalp. Suddenly, he felt his world tilt a bit as her fingers clenched into his hair, and she pulled him toward her as she lay back on the couch.

As they landed, legs tangled, Stu's hard body pressing her soft one into the cushions of the couch, the kiss broke. Stu shifted slightly, aligning himself more comfortably with her frame. Leaning one elbow into the cushion beside her head, he grasped her haw with his free hand and lowered his mouth to hers once more.

Annie slid her hands around him, tugging his dress shirt out of his jeans. Once free, she slid her hands up the smooth muscle of his back, her arms clenching, pulling him more towards her. His weight on hers set her on fire, and desire quickly built through her body, settling with a delicious pull in her core.

The feel of her under him and her hands caressing his back nearly sent Stu over the edge, and with a sudden jerk, he pulled his mouth away from hers. Breathing hard, he closed his eyes, "Annie, we can't. Not like this."

Disappointed with the loss of his kiss, Annie said, "Like what?"

"You've - we've both had too much to drink," Stu said, opening his eyes to gaze at her flushed face and her swollen lips. He ran his finger over the bottom one. "When - when I make love to you, I'd rather it not be because we drank too much."

Annie couldn't believe what she was hearing, and given the fact that he still lay atop her, both their desires vividly evident, she pulled her hands out from under his shirt and raised them to his face. When his eyes met hers again, her breath caught in her chest. The sadness was gone, desire burning out from them. And something else, Annie thought. A kind of need.

"Stu, I've never wanted anything in my life more than I want this," she whispered, leaning up to kiss him lightly on the lips. "And I'm not so drunk not to realize that we both need this. I want you, now. Please."

As she talked, her hands slid down his chest and began unbuttoning his shirt. Stu felt the last of his resolve melt away as her fingers touched his chest. Groaning, he lowered his mouth back down onto hers.

Quickly peeling his shirt off him, Annie ran her fingers down his back, eliciting a groan from him as his mouth slid off hers and pressed kisses onto her jaw and down her throat. Her dress slid up her thighs as she angled to wrap her legs around his body, their movements growing more frantic in their need.

They'd eventually made it to her bed, and as Annie curled into his body, resting her head on his chest, Stu wrapped one hand around her shoulder and clasped her fingers with the other as they lay across his chest. A kind of peace settled over him as her breathing evened out, and he knew she was asleep.

He thought back over the last month and realized with a suddenness that brought tears to his eyes that he'd slowly, but surely fallen in love with her. She'd insinuated her way into his life so completely, he wasn't sure what it was like without her smile or understanding gaze, the soft brush of her fingers on his as he handed her her coffee at the office.

From the moment she'd placed her hand on his at the bar and said his well-ordered life sounded lonely to her, he realized he'd done everything he could to prove her wrong.

**Chapter 8: Chapter 8**

Wakefulness came slow to Stu. He'd woken enveloped in an unfamiliar cocoon of warmth. A swath of warmth lay across his chest, and opening his eyes, he saw the smooth ivory skin of Annie's arm. Her breath blew across his shoulder, sending goosebumps along his skin. If he thought she looked beautiful when awake, the peaceful look on her face right now turned her into an angel, her golden hair splayed across her shoulder and pillow.

Careful not to wake her, he slid off the bed. Picking up his jeans from the floor, he slipped them on. He fought an urge to kiss Annie awake, but suddenly thought of a better way to wake her.

Padding softly across the floor, he made his way through the living room to the small kitchen to the side.

"So, Annie, where do you keep the coffee?" he asked softly, opening cupboards until he found a canister. The pot was soon gurgling along, and he opened the refrigerator. His initial idea of breakfast in bed came to a halt, though, as her choice of food was minimal. She must eat over at her sister's house, he thought. Soon, though, he found a loaf of bread, and figured toast and coffee would have to suffice for now.

As he was placing the slices into the toaster, a knock sounded at Annie's door. It wasn't that early, about 9am, but Stu wondered who would be knocking at her door on a Saturday morning. He soon got his answer, though, as the lock clicked, and the door opened.

A blonde-haired girl about 9 bounded in, "Aunt Annie! Are you awake? You said you'd help me -" Chloe stopped short when she saw Stu at the kitchen counter. "Oh, hello."

She must be one of Annie's nieces, Stu thought. "Uhh, hi," he said, placing the bread he was holding down on the counter. "Your aunt's still sleeping," he stammered, feeling slightly embarrassed.

"Oh, okay," Chloe said, staring at him.

Realizing his state of semi-undressed, Stu walked to the couch where his dress shirt was lying and quickly pulled it on before turning again to the young girl standing before him.

"Are you Aunt Annie's boyfriend?" Chloe asked, smiling.

"Yeah, my name's Stu." he said.

"Chloe," she replied, walking up to him with her hand out.

Stu shook it, noting immediately how much the little girl resembled Annie, down to her little half-smile. "You're Annie's niece?"

"Yep, the oldest," Chloe said proudly, her head cocking to the side. "Katia's only 6."

"I see. Did you need me to wake Annie up?" Stu asked, as Chloe studied him intently. She didn't answer, only stared straight at him in the way only 9-year-olds can. Her intense perusal was making him slightly uncomfortable, and he was about to head to the bedroom when her next question stopped him cold.

"Do you love her?"

"I - I'm sorry?" Stu asked, wondering where Chloe was going with this line of questioning. She watched him intently, and he saw her shoulders roll a bit, along with her eyes.

"Do you love my Aunt Annie?" Chloe repeated, her hands now perched on her hips.

The matter-of-fact way in which she asked the question left Stu thunderstruck. "Yeah, I do, Chloe."

"Like, the happily-ever-after kind of love?" she asked, her eyes narrowing.

Smiling at her insightful summation of his feelings, Stu said, "Yeah, like the happily-ever-after kind."

"Oh, good," Chloe said, breathing a sigh of relief. "You probably don't know this, but Aunt Annie's had a bad time lately with guys. My mom says I shouldn't worry about it too much, and that it's none of my business, but I can tell. She gets real sad sometimes."

"Sad?" Stu asked. "And you think it's because -"

"Yeah," Chloe said, her mouth turning down. "Like last summer, when she wouldn't come out of her bedroom for days, and her eyes were all red. She was real quiet. I tried to cheer her up, make her smile again, but I can't do _everything_," she said, sighing at the last.

Stu knew exactly what Chloe was referring to, and his heart ached for Annie, but also for the little girl in front of him. "Don't worry, Chloe. I love your aunt very much, and I would never do anything to make her cry," he said, smiling at her.

Returning his smile, Chloe's eyes darted past him. "Aunt Annie!" she shouted, running toward the bedroom.

Stu watched as the little girl threw herself at Annie, wrapping her arms around Annie's robe-clad body. His heart pounded erratically at the thought that Annie heard their conversation.

"You didn't forget you said you'd help me with my science project this weekend, did you?" Chloe asked, jumping up and down on her toes.

"Of course I didn't forget, sweetheart," Annie said, bending down to give the girl a hug. "How about I come over after lunch?""Great!" Chloe said, running back to the door. "Bye, Stu!" she shouted as she opened the door.

"Good-bye, Chloe," Stu said after her. As the door clicked shut, he looked over at Annie, who was still in the bedroom doorway, leaning against the frame.

"How much did you hear?" Stu asked quietly, trying to gauge the emotions running across her face.

"All of it," Annie replied. "She woke me up when she came in, and I was putting my robe on when -" Annie's voice trailed off.

"Annie, I -" Stu started to say.

"How much of it was true?" Annie asked, a touch of apprehension and a sort of fear in her voice.

Stu leaned back against the counter. The moment had come, and he plunged in with both feet. "All of it. I do love you, Annie. I'm not going anywhere, and I promise never to make you cry."

A look of total joy and relief chased the apprehension from Annie's eyes, and she quickly crossed the space between them, catching his face in her hands. A truer or more pure kiss could never occur again, Stu thought as she captured his lips with her own.

He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her up against him. As she broke the kiss, she placed her head on his chest, reveling in the warmth of his skin beneath his unbuttoned shirt.

"Annie?" Stu asked, "What did Chloe mean about last summer?"

"It's nothing," Annie said against his chest. "Besides, the past is the past, and I'm all about moving forward. With you," she added, brushing her lips against his neck.

Though he truly wanted to believe her words, Stu needed to know. Especially now, he thought, as her arms stole around him, her hands warm on his skin. Taking a deep breath, he said quietly, "Annie, I know about Ben."

Her hands froze on his skin, and she pulled back slightly. "How - why - how did you find out?" Annie blundered out, trying to pull from his grasp, only to have Stu's arms tighten around her, keeping her in his embrace.

"It doesn't matter how I found out, Annie. And I don't know the whole story, only that he broke your heart, and that last summer, he died while you were on a mission with him in Sri Lanka. That was what Chloe was talking about, wasn't it? How sad you were back then?"

Annie nodded, her eyes misting over.

"Can you tell me about it, Annie? Please?"

Looking into his eyes, Annie saw love and concern shining from them. She'd shared what she believed was the truest form of herself last night with him, and now he was asking for the rest of her. She wasn't sure she'd ever be able to think about her life with Ben again without breaking down, but she soon began talking.

The words didn't stop as they poured from her, and once she started, a weight began lifting itself from her heart, until, when she came to the end, she felt a lightness she couldn't describe in her chest.

She buried her face into his neck, her arms wrapping themselves around his back. He held her close, his arms around her, and he pressed kisses into her hair as a sweet silence stretched between them.

The courage she must have possessed to come through such an ordeal and still be able to pick herself back up impressed Stu, and he thought, made him fall even deeper in love with her than before, if it was at all possible.

Pulling herself back slightly, Annie gazed into Stu's face, smiling wide at the admiration evident in his eyes. Leaning forward, she kissed him lightly. This is it, she thought. The journey she hadn't even known she was on until the end was in sight was nearly over.

"Stu?" she asked, placing both of her hands on his face. "Would you believe me if I said I loved you, too?"

Not trusting his voice at the moment as his heart leapt in his throat again, Stu nodded. Her mouth soon found his again, and he smiled into the kiss.


	9. Epistles

Title: Epistles

Category: TV Shows » Covert Affairs

Author: Beth - Geek Chick

Language: English, Rating: Rated: T

Genre: Friendship/Romance

Published: 11-18-10, Updated: 11-28-10

Chapters: 10, Words: 7,757

Chapter 1: Goodbye, DC

Plot: Annie's received a transfer to Baltimore

Writing style: Epistolary

June 1, 2011

Auggie:

Sorry I missed you before I left. You were out of your office when this all went down, and my orders were to leave immediately. This is the worst way to say good-bye, but I couldn't just leave without saying anything.

What's happened isn't exactly classified, and you may already know before you read this. I've been transferred to an FBI field office in Baltimore, effective immediately. I'm to serve as a CIA liaison with them. As Joan explained, it seems they requested me personally.

I don't know how long I'll be there, or even if I'll ever be back to DC. They may ship me to another office, maybe even overseas, as a long-term undercover.

All this is happening very fast, and my thoughts are in a whirl. For the first time since I started here, I feel unsure about my vocational choice. You see, when the CIA recruited me so many years back, the idea to see the world and do good work seemed exciting and thrilling. I had already visited more countries than most people could name, and speak languages some had never even heard of before.

The chance to move up the chain here is what every officer aspires to, what I've always aspired to, but now? Now it's starting to happen, and I'm having doubts. Maybe it's just nerves, I don't know.

But one thing I do know is that I'll miss you. I've come to count on you being there to bring me home and lift my spirits when I'm feeling low or discouraged. And now I'll be on my own, and I'm not sure I can do it.

I've got to go now. I'm due in the office tomorrow morning, and I still haven't thought up a cover story to tell Danielle as to why I suddenly have to move overnight.

Wish me luck.

Love, Annie.

Chapter 2: Love, Auggie

"Hi, this is Annie Walker. I can't take your call right now, but please leave a message, and I'll call you right back."

*BEEP

"Annie, it's Auggie.

Give me a call when you can. I only just now got back in the office. No, I didn't know they were transferring you, and if I did, I'd have had a word with Joan about it. Not that I don't believe in your skills, but the FBI specifically requesting you? That has trouble written all over it. I'll try to look up some information here and get back to you. Listen, Baltimore's not that far, and I'm only a mouse click or a phone call away. But I'll still miss hearing those kitten heels and -"

*BEEP

To: Anne Walker []

From: August Anderson []

Subject: transfer

Annie:

Thought of calling you back, but 30 seconds isn't nearly enough to say everything I want to right now, and a dozen texts seemed overkill.

So, you've been requested by the FBI to work with them at their Baltimore field office? I tried to get specifics, but no one here knew much about it, and Joan had gone for the day. Considering that you've been permanently transferred and not just working there for a week or two, the operation must be pretty intense. Never liked inter-agency ops personally. Seen one too many of them go wrong 'cause of grandstanding and posturing getting in the way. Don't know if you'll encounter that, but if you do, just concentrate on getting the job done and getting back home.

But you shouldn't think of that. Why? 'Cause you're gonna rock this assignment. I have faith in you. Wish I could tell you all this in person, though, or at least on the phone. Gotta say, your letter really threw me. My first thought was someone was playing a joke, but then Stu told me how you came into the office looking for me. He said you were upset and near frantic when he told you I was out for the afternoon.

You said that you're not sure you can do this on your own. I'm here to tell you, once and for all, you can. You already have. But if you ever need someone to remind you of how incredible you are, give me a call.

And should you get a free day, remember your friends back here and take a drive down 95.

Love, Auggie

Chapter 3: Welcome to Baltimore

To: Anne Walker

From: Brad Holt

Subject: Confidential

Walker:

Welcome to Baltimore. That being said, let me just inform you that your presence here, in my opinion, is unnecessary. You'll be fully debriefed within the next couple of days. On the whole, I've been on the trail of Steve Baumgartner for two years now and am fully capable of bringing him in myself. My boss, however, thinks that Baumgartner's tied to some kind of Russian he's been hunting all his career. He apparently heard of your "talents" with the language and going undercover, so you've been pulled to do just that. Evgeni has an eye for the ladies, so hope you've brought those stilettos my boss says you're famous for.

To: August Anderson [aanderson ]

From: Anne Walker [awalker ]

Date: June 2, 2011

Subject: re: transfer

Hey, Auggie.

I got your message, but as soon as I got here, a couple of FBI jerks confiscated my phone. Said they'd issue me one of theirs, but given the way they shuttled me out of the office into this hotel room, I'm not holding my breath. I'm supposed to meet with one of their agents, Brad Holt, tomorrow.

Apparently, he was too busy to meet with me today and left me a packet of information about what I'm here for. They're after a guy named Steve Baumgartner, and Holt seemed kind of pissed that his director called us in. Speaking of that, my angle is getting close to Baumgartner's Russian contact, Evgeni. He didn't specify.

One thing that freaks me out, though, is he asked if I brought "the stilettos I'm famous for." Remember that FBI agent I ran into twice last year? Rossabi? He's the one that interrogated us about Stas. When I returned to the hotel to get the intel, I said I was there to get my Louboutins.

I have a bad feeling that, after my second run-in with Rossabi, when Ben first came back, that my cover was blown. Seems I was right. Wonder who else here Rossabi blabbed to.

Won't know until tomorrow, so I'll fill you in then. Thank God they didn't confiscate my laptop, too. And I'm using the encrypted e-mail app you put in here. Thank you!

Just wish I had a phone to call you, hear your voice telling me I'm being paranoid about this whole thing. Even if I could just pick one up, if Holt finds out about it, he'd probably just confiscate it, as well. Don't need to antagonize the guy before I meet him.

Miss you more than I can say,

Love, Annie

Chapter 4: You and me against the world

To: Anne Walker []

From: August Anderson []

Subject: stilettos?

Annie:

So all this time, you've let me believe you were wearing kitten heels, and they've been stilettos? For shame. LOL

I've got an idea, but only if you're willing to go along with it. I can send you another phone, but you'd need to keep it hidden and use it only for texts. They're easily encrypted when sent and received, but audio phone conversations can, as you know, be recorded and picked up. Stu owes me a favor, so I'll send him up to Baltimore this weekend. There's a Caplan's Delicatessen right down the road from the FBI office. He'll be there during the lunch hour on Saturday. If you can make it, he'll slip you the phone then.

This Baumgartner guy's one of the big bads in the northeast, and according to what I've found out, Holt's been after him for a while. As for the other guy, Evgeni? Russian ghost. Seems every time a domestic terrorist pops up in the chatter, this Evgeni guy is mentioned. Not much known about him. Obviously, not even a last name. If Holt's fixation is wholly on Baumgartner, you may be on your own with Evgeni. Watch your back and don't be afraid to ask for help. Just do that little hair flip thing the guys say you do and smile a lot. :)

The info I got is general, I know, but bear with me. The FBI doesn't share much with the class unless it's a press release at the end of a successful case. Heard Jai asking Joan about your transfer. She brushed him off, only saying the FBI requested your services, and you'll be gone for a while. She's been keeping me busy, as well, not even mentioning your name in conversation.

So, obviously, no one but Stu knows we're still in contact. And I'd just as soon

keep it between just us, but until they invent a car that can drive itself, I'm gonna need help on this.

So, what do you say? You and me against the world?

Keep your spirits up,

Love, Auggie

Stu:

Remember that favor you owed me? I'm cashing in on it now. Annie's at the FBI in Baltimore, as you know. I need you to take this package to Caplan's Delicatessen. The address is on the box. It's a cell for Annie. This is strictly confidential, and you've gotta pass it to her surreptitiously. Think you can handle that? And make sure she gets the other item, as well. Don't peek. I will find out.

Anderson

Chapter 5: Surreptitious passing

Sat. June 4 1:05pm

Walker: testing

Anderson: pass successful?

Walker: auggie!

Anderson: yes?

Walker: what exactly did you tell stu?

Anderson: pass pkg to you. think i used the word surreptitiously. why?

Walker: surreptitious? he tried to pick me up!

Anderson: umm, clarify?

Walker: he slid into my booth and hit on me

Anderson: LOL

Walker: it's not funny, auggie

Anderson: yes, it is. you got the phone, though

Walker: yes, he left it behind when i emphatically turned him down

Anderson: where are you now

Walker: caplan restroom. wanted to make sure phone worked

Anderson: so we're set

Walker: meeting Evgeni tonight. send details in email after

Anderson: fine. anything else you need?

Walker: no. miss you

Anderson: only been four days, annie

Walker: i know. just feel out of my element. here alone

Anderson: you're not. i'm right here

Walker: i know

Anderson: you get my present?

Walker: what present

Anderson: in pkg with phone

Walker: wait a sec. auggie! the st. bernard i got for you in zurich

Anderson: he can watch over you til you get back

Walker: thanks :)

Anderson: no need. just be careful

Walker: bye, auggie

Anderson: bye ;)

To: Stuart Heatherton []

From: August Anderson

Subject: favor

Stu:

Remind me to explain the word surreptitious to you. Good work, my friend.

Auggie

To: Anne Walker []

From: Brad Holt

Subject: Saturday night

Walker:

Remember that, during your meet with Evgeni tonight, you'll be playing a friend of our undercover agent's. Stephens has been working for two years to get this close to Baumgartner, so don't screw it up. And don't overplay your hand. Just meet with this Russian and see if he likes your looks. Shouldn't be too difficult, knowing your previous work. Evgeni isn't an idiot, though. He won't be fooled by a pretty smile and a flash of thigh. You're there to get intel, not have a good time.

Holt

Chapter 6: Long weekends and angry texting

To: Anne Walker

From: Brad Holt

Subject: good job

Date: June 6, 2011

Don't say this often, but it seems I was wrong about you. Stephens detailed how Evgeni took to you like no one else ever has before. Be sure to write out a full report of your activities that night, and yesterday, as well. Stephen said you left with Evgeni? Should have given him a heads-up as to your intentions, but we'll let you have carte blanche for now. The sooner Evgeni is out of the picture and my boss is placated, the sooner we can concentrate on Baumgartner. He's my main - no, he's my only priority. The Russian's all yours. Get the intel to take him down, deliver it to my boss, then go home.

To: August Anderson

From: Annie Walker

Subject: Evgeni meeting

Date: June 7, 2011

First off, I'm sorry, sorry, sorry. It's been three days, I know, since we last texted, and I promised this e-mail after my meeting with Evgeni. And, well, I've only just got back to my hotel room and my laptop. Didn't even have your cell with me to text that I was all right. Didn't want to take it on the meet, in case I was frisked.

There's so much to tell you. Evgeni, who by the way, I still don't know the last name of. Guy must think he's Bono or somebody. Anyway, Stephens, the undercover guy with Baumgartner, introduced me to him. I played my role to perfection, and Evgeni was impressed with my Russian language skills. I led him to believe I was a grad student studying the language, with the hopes of working in the country some day.

He doesn't speak English, and I offered my services of translator while he's in town. He had one, but said he didn't trust the guy, and "liked the looks" of me when I talked.

The initial meet went so well, actually, he invited me back to his hotel. That's where I've been all weekend, playing a giggling grad student. Trying to get cozy up to him, earn his trust so that maybe he'll let me into his business dealings, as well. Perhaps translate documents, calls. Holt seems impressed with my work and said he'll let me run with it as I see fit. Good news, right? I'd think so, too, if it weren't for the fact that he's trying to run me out of town as fast as he can.

Me getting back to DC is about the only thing we have in common. And kicking back at Allen's with a shot and a beer is what I'm looking forward to most.

Talk to you soon,

Annie

Tue, June 7, 10:52pm

Anderson: Annie, are you there?

Tue, June 7, 11:30pm

Anderson: Annie, have to talk to you

Wed, June 8, 12:45am

Anderson: come on, Annie, you didn't turn this thing off, did you

Walker: Auggie, what the hell? it's the middle of the night

Anderson: where have you been? i been texting all night

Walker: sleeping. what's wrong

Anderson: i got your e-mail

Walker: okay

Anderson: did you really spend the weekend with this guy?

Walker: yes, why

Anderson: he's dangerous

Walker: yeah, so?

Anderson: i'm talking hard core dangerous, Annie

Walker: they all are

Anderson: you're alone up there

Walker: i am on most of my missions, auggie. what are you talking about

Anderson: where was Holt during all this? or that guy Stephens?

Walker: doing their jobs, concentrating on bringing baumgartner in

Anderson: so they're really leaving you to deal with a terrorist alone?

Walker: auggie, it's the middle of the night. are you drunk or something

Anderson: no, i'm not drunk!

Walker: then why are you so angry

Anderson: not angry

Walker: could have fooled me

Anderson: so you spent the weekend with this guy

Walker: again, yes. thought it'd take longer to get close to him, but think he was lonely

Anderson: did you sleep with him

Walker: what

Anderson: did you have sex with evgeni?

Walker: auggie, what the hell

Anderson: just tell me

Walker: i'm on a mission, auggie

Anderson: so that's a yes

Walker: it's the job

Anderson: your job was to retrieve intel to bring him down

Walker: which I will do. what's your problem

Anderson: i'm not the one with the problem

Walker: could've fooled me. just taking a page from the Anderson textbook

Anderson: what's that supposed to mean?

Walker: two words. liza hearn

Anderson: not the same

Walker: how so

Anderson: liza wasn't a dangerous terrorist

Walker: auggie, it's late. i gotta get some sleep

Anderson: meeting evgeni tomorrow

Walker: yes.

Anderson: text me after

Walker: if i have time. bye, auggie

Anderson: annie?

Anderson: annie, just - be careful

Anderson: please

Chapter 7: Hey, jealousy

To: Brad Holt []

From: Anne Walker []

Subject: Evgeni

Date: Thursday, June 9, 2011

Holt:

Progress made re: Evgeni. Report with info left on your desk. I was able to take some pictures of documents he left out this past weekend, plus the past couple of days. They're in Russian, but I've been able to translate what I could make out. Seems your boss was correct about his ties to Baumgartner. Ran out of time, or else I'd get more. Should be able to retrieve the rest within a couple of days.

Anything specific needed?

Walker

To: Anne Walker

From: Brad Holt

Subject: re: Evgeni

Date: Friday, June 10, 2011

Walker:

Good work. Our translator has verified your documents. Not that we don't trust you, but two heads are better than one. Stephens has left on your desk the specifics needed. We're looking to get enough for an indictment, or at least get him deported with no way of returning to the States. Depends on what the Attorney General decides. Personally, I need him out of the way. Baumgartner has been hiding behind Evgeni, using his influence for intimidation. Keep it up and good luck.

To: Anne Walker

From: M. Rossabi

Subject: Evgeni

Date: Friday, June 10, 2011

Miss Walker:

Long time, no see. Had I known who you were a year ago, we would have been able to use your skills earlier, or at least hired you away from the CIA. I must say, not many people are able to fool me, so when I learned your true identity, I knew you were the one to help us out here with Evgeni. And according to Holt and Stephens, you're well on your way of wrapping this up faster than anyone could have imagined.

I knew those stilettos would work on him. Hey, if the whole CIA thing doesn't work out, give us a call.

Sat, June 11, 2011

Walker: Auggie, you there?

Anderson: yes, annie, thank god you're all right

Walker: why wouldn't i be?

Anderson: haven't heard from you for three days

Walker: busy with mission

Anderson: having any luck?

Walker: yes, actually. Holt and Stephens helping

Anderson: know when you'll be done?

Walker: week or two. Holt wants enough info to permanently put him away

Anderson: one less terrorist on US soil is a good thing

Walker: Rossabi contacted me

Anderson: what did he want?

Walker: to congratulate me. he offered me a job

Anderson: with the FBI?

Walker: yeah

Anderson: are you considering it?

Walker: it's tempting. they seem to trust me

Anderson: you really want to leave?

Walker: CIA played me my first six months here

Anderson: yeah, but you proved yourself

Walker: it'd mean less jet lag, wouldn't have to fly all over the world

Anderson: annie, what are you saying? you want to stay there?

Walker: need to be somewhere i'm trusted and appreciated

Anderson: this is about tuesday night, isn't it

Walker: you mean your drunken texting? partly

Anderson: i wasn't drunk

Walker: being drunk is the only excuse that makes sense for my best friend yelling at me

Anderson: i wasn't drunk. i was just angry

Walker: right and that explains everything

Anderson: what do you want me to say? I'm sorry for caring about you?

Walker: caring about me? you've got an odd way of showing affection

Anderson: i can't have this conversation now, not via text

Walker: no, we're having this talk now. you will explain why my doing my job is a problem with you

Anderson: annie, please, can't this wait

Walker: NO

Anderson: okay, fine. the thought of any man touching you makes me angry

Walker: what?

Anderson: did i stutter?

Walker: don't be flippant. you're jealous

Anderson: yes.

Walker: you're telling me you care for me now? when i'm on a mission and miles away?

Anderson: i said i wanted to wait until you returned

Walker: then you shouldn't have texted me tuesday night

Anderson: you're really thinking of leaving us? of leaving me?

Walker: right now, i don't know what i think

Anderson: just, don't leave because of me

Walker: if i do leave, it won't be because of you

Anderson: forgive me?

Walker: for saying you care for me?

Anderson: for acting like a jackass

Walker: a jealous jackass

Anderson: annie, please

Walker: okay. i forgive you

Anderson: can we pick this up when you get back?

Walker: don't like texting?

Anderson: only seems to get me in trouble

Walker: okay. i'll e-mail you tomorrow, okay?

Anderson: take care

Walker: always do

Chapter 8: Goodbye, Evgeni

To: August Anderson []

From: Anne Walker []

Subject: good morning

Date: Sunday, June 12, 2011

Hey, Auggie.

Case is wrapping up quicker than we all thought here. Thought I'd be hanging around here for another few weeks, but Evgeni's apparent infatuation with me has allowed me to gain access to more intel faster than I ever thought possible.

I'm not telling you this to make you angry ( again ) but just to say I should be coming home soon.

Love,

Annie

To: Anne Walker []

From: Stephens []

Subject: Evgeni final meet

Date: Monday, June 13, 2011

Walker:

Excellent work this weekend retrieving the info I requested. Reading your detailed briefs, I see that you've had to get extremely close to Evgeni, and I must say, I appreciate the extra effort you're putting in.

Given the fact that you've only been with the CIA for a year, I'm impressed with how quickly you've been able to get close to Evgeni. Sometimes, though, it just takes the right fit, the right melding of personalities to get the marks to talk and open up.

We had planned out a month for this case, but two weeks to completion? Congratulations. Your director allowed your transfer to us just for the sake of bringing down Evgeni, but if you're willing to stay on, I'm sure we could make a case for a permanent position of CIA liaison to this field office.

For now, concentrate on wrapping this case up, and we'll talk later.

To: Anne Walker []

From: Brad Holt []

Subject: Final Debriefing

Date: Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Your final debriefing with me and the rest of the team will be tomorrow morning. Evgeni's been taken into custody, and though it's my - and I'm assuming your - greatest wish that he'd be sent to Siberia to finish out the rest of his life, the higher ups have decided he's a better asset than an enemy.

Wanted to let you know first before the briefing. Also wanted to run this past you. Evgeni knows nothing of your involvement in this. From what I've been able to ascertain from our translator, he's worried about leaving his new girlfriend in the lurch and asked us to contact her.

Formally, your job here is done. After the final briefing and paperwork, we're to send you back to DC with a handshake. But if you're willing to stay on, we can use your link to Evgeni to extract more information. Think about it and let us know before Friday.

To: Brad Holt []

CC: Stephens; A. Rossabi

From: Anne Walker

Subject: Good-bye

Date: Friday, June 17, 2011

Gentlemen:

Thank you for your hospitality over the past two weeks regarding the Evgeni operation, and the help and backup regarding his arrest. I've taken your offers into careful consideration. However, I must decline and head back to DC and the DPD. Perhaps sometime in the future, we can work together again.

Sincerely,

Anne Walker

Sat., June 18 10am

Walker: hey, you there?

Anderson: annie, you got your phone back

Walker: phone back and life back

Anderson: case done?

Walker: yep. talked to Joan yesterday. I'm headed back to DC

Anderson: i know, she told us yesterday. didn't say when you'd be back, though

Walker: did she say anything else?

Anderson: no, just that FBI case is wrapped up

Walker: then nothing about FBI wanting me to transfer there permanently

Anderson: they asked you again?

Walker: yep, both Stephens and Holt were lobbying for it

Anderson: and you turned them down

Walker: it's too soon for such a drastic change

Anderson: you did good work there

Walker: i do good work in DC

Anderson: true

Walker: couldn't have done it by myself

Anderson: you did it all yourself, you know that

Walker: you were with me the whole way

Anderson: i didn't do anything but act like a jackass

Walker: not all the time. you kept me focused and gave me courage

Anderson: you're too modest

Walker: we make a good team, auggie. couldn't have done this without you

Anderson: just doing my job

Walker: it's more than that, and you know it

Anderson: i know. when will you be here?

Walker: tonight. will you be home?

Anderson: yeah. see you then

Walker: 'til later

Chapter 9: Apologies and speeches

Annie knocked on Auggie's door at exactly 8:00 that night, apprehension dueling with excitement for space in her chest. She hadn't heard his voice nor seen him in over two weeks, and given what she had gone through during that time, she desperately needed both.

A long, healthy conversation between the two of them was needed, and she'd spent the entire drive down 95 wondering what to say to him. Hearing footsteps approach his door, she took a deep breath, going over in her mind again all she wanted to say.

"Annie?"

"Yeah, Auggie, it's me. I'm home," Annie said. The door slid open, and relief flooded through her at the familiar sight of him. She took a step in, touching his hand lightly as she passed by.

As soon as she cleared the doorway, though, his fingers grasped hers. He slid the door closed, its loud click echoing through the apartment. Turning toward her, he pulled on her hand so quickly that she stumbled a bit towards him.

"Auggie, what are you -"

"Shh," Auggie whispered, as releasing her hand and bringing both of his up to her face. His thumbs trailed along her cheekbones and down her skin until they touched the edges of her mouth. He took a few steps closer, causing her to back up until she felt the hard metal door against her.

Annie's eyes closed at the warmth the caress of his fingers and the closeness of his body against hers, his thighs brushing against her legs. The speech, the words, the explanations all disappeared from her conscience as his lips descended towards hers.

It'd been a two and a half weeks since she'd left, and ten days since he received that e-mail from her about her long weekend with Evgeni. The surge of possessive jealousy that had caught him by surprise had been on a low boil ever since. And now, as soon as he'd felt her soft fingers brush against his hand, that surge of possession flared up again. He'd spent the preceding week agonizing over their reunion, what he would say to her, what she expected him to say. But the apology died on his lips as her scent followed her into his apartment, and her hand brushed his.

And now, as he pressed her body against the cold, hard metal of his front door, he felt a shiver run through both their bodies. His fingers rested lightly on her face, partly to memorize the contours of her smooth skin, but mostly to guide him to her lips. Still, he'd hesitated a scant inch before laying claim to her mouth.

He half-expected her to push him away, to protest against his actions, but as he felt her hands slide up his sides and around his back, he let the space between them disappear.

Annie sighed into his mouth at the gentleness of his kiss. God, she needed this. She'd trained herself to block out the more unsavory aspects of her job, categorize them to a dark closet in her brain, but still, she wished she could end every mission with the cleansing sweetness of Auggie's kiss.

Her fingers involuntarily clenched, gathering fistfuls of his t-shirt in her hands. She leaned into him, returning the caress, moaning slightly as both of their lips parted, and she felt a hesitant sweep of his tongue against her lower lip. Too soon, he pulled away, taking a step back, his hands falling to his sides.

"Auggie?" Annie whispered, slightly disappointed at the loss of the warmth of his embrace.

"I'm sorry," he said, stepping away from her and walking to the couch, sitting down on it. He ran his hands through his hair, wondering where all the words he had wanted to say to her had gone.

"For kissing me? Why -"

"No," Auggie interrupted. "No, not for that. For what I said last week on the phone. I don't know what came over me."

"You said you were jealous," Annie said quietly, walking over and sitting next to him on the couch.

"Yes, I know, and I was, but I had no right to take it out on you, not in the middle of your mission. Annie, I - I didn't know how deeply I felt for you until that night, and I'm not apologizing for those feelings, but for my behavior."

"Auggie, I already forgave you. You don't need to say anything," Annie said softly. "Can we just - oh, man, I had this all worked out before I got here, what I was going to tell you."

"Same here," Auggie said with a laugh. "I really messed this up, didn't I?"

"A bit," Annie said, warming to the sound of his laughter. "Think we can start over?"

"And how do you propose we do that?" Auggie said, turning towards her with a smile.

"Well, nobody but Stu knows you were helping me with the mission, and nobody but us knows what happened that night when you texted me, so I think we can safely pretend it never happened," Annie explained. "So, I've just come back from a difficult mission as a liaison to the FBI. While visiting my best friend, we realized being away from each other made us realize his much we missed the other, so we decided to take the next step and begin dating."

"Wow," Auggie said, his eyes widening at her speech. "Did you practice that on the way home?"

"It did sound a bit rehearsed, didn't it?" Annie laughed. "But what do you think?"

"It has promise, but do we also have to forget that kiss against the door?" Auggie asked, cocking an eyebrow toward her.

"I don't think I could ever forget that, no," Annie said.

"So, in this perfect little scenario you've created, we're to begin dating?" Auggie asked. "So I guess I should ask you out."

"That's usually what precedes the actual date, yes," Annie said.

"Okay, then," Auggie said. "Annie, I've been thinking. Being away from you all this time made me realize how much you mean to me, and I was wondering if you'd like to go out with me some time."

He said it with such sincerity, Annie had to bite her cheek to keep the giggle that was bubbling up in her from coming out. "Oh, Auggie, thanks for asking. I missed you, too. Of course, I'd love to go out with you."

Chapter 10: How many licks does it take

The wide, laughing smile that broke across his face eased the awkwardness, and Annie allowed the laugh that was coming up in her chest to come out. She also allowed the arm that he held out to her to wrap around her shoulders, and she leaned into his chest.

"This is, without a doubt, the weirdest start of a relationship I've ever experienced," she said, shaking her head.

"Yeah, it's not what I had planned, but I'll take the end result," Auggie replied, leaning back, pulling on her shoulder, taking her with him as he settled against the back of the couch.

"Planned?" Annie asked, lifting her head off his chest to look at his face. "What exactly do you mean by that?"

"Oops," Auggie said, "shouldn't have said that, but I guess it's all right to tell you now." Smiling at the odd turn of events of the last few weeks, he settled back further into the couch, feeling Annie's slight weight pressed against his side, as if she belonged there. The ends of her hair caught on his fingers, and he played with them as he talked.

"I'd come back from that endless briefing and found your e-mail, saying you'd gone, and you weren't sure if or when you were coming back." His eyes closed as the memory of the emptiness washed over him again. "Then Stu came in and said I'd just missed you."

"I'd wanted to wait for you," Annie said quietly. "Joan wouldn't hear of it, and I couldn't think of a plausible enough reason to tell her." Kicking off her shoes, Annie pulled her feet under her, settling more into his side. The warmth and quiet strength of his loose embrace more than made up for the unsavory few weeks she'd just spent.

"Mm, I was gearing myself up to ask you out for that Friday," Auggie confessed. "Guess I shouldn't have waited so long."

"Thanks again for sending the phone. It sort of kept me sane all that time," she sighed. "Though I really shouldn't be relying on you so much."

"Why not?" Auggie asked, puzzled.

"I'm supposed to be able to do these things myself," Annie said.

"Nobody does, Annie," he said, squeezing her shoulder. "And Holt was supposed to be your partner on this. If he hadn't been so dead set against your mere presence there, I wouldn't have had to sneak that phone to you in the first place."

"But still, I'd like to not have to ask for help all the time, to be able to settle a mission myself."

"Huh, who's acting like James Bond now?" Auggie asked, smirking.

"Very funny. Besides, if I'm James Bond, does that make you Mon-" Annie's words were cut off as Auggie's hand left her shoulder and clamped over her mouth.

"Don't even go there, Walker," Auggie said. "I hardly resemble a '60s-era female secretary."

Annie giggled under his hand, which only made his grip tighter across the lower half of her face. "Auggie," she mumbled under his hand, and he only shook his head at her and laughed.

Feeling suddenly adventuresome, Annie opted for the age-old trick she used on Danielle when they were kids. She slipped her tongue past her lips and licked his palm.

Auggie gasped involuntarily at the touch. The lighthearted tension grew slightly heavier as he pulled his hand away from her mouth. He didn't completely pull away, though, as he let his fingers slide along her lips, pulling slightly on the lower one. He was rewarded again with the feel of her tongue against his fingers.

"Getting bold, are we?" he asked huskily, settling his hand again on her shoulder.

Gathering courage she didn't know she had, Annie shifted up against him, "No, if I were bold, I'd do this." Moving the few inches from his shoulder, she leaned in and ran her tongue along his neck, nuzzling her nose against him, and breathing in the heady scent of his cologne.

When she pulled back, Annie looked at his face and would have laughed out loud had her flirtatious move not awakened the same desire in her she now saw mirrored in his eyes. His mouth hung open, and his breathing came slow and heavy. His fingers, also, suddenly stilled on her shoulder.

"What's the matter, Auggie?" Annie whispered. "Never been licked by a girl before?" she asked.

Auggie had to swallow hard before answering. Her flirty, intoxicating move stirred feelings in him he hadn't felt for a long time, and he had to suppress a sudden desire to pull her into his lap and feel that caress again all over his body. "Not before a first date, no."

"Well, I'd never had a man press me up against a door and kiss me like you did before a first date, either," Annie replied.

Auggie smiled, "You're right, this is the weirdest start of a relationship I've ever had. What do you think we should do about it?"

Annie's mind boggled at the sudden thoughts of "what she wanted to do," but knew a torrid, sexual affair was not what she wanted, nor what Auggie deserved. "I think I should leave and return tomorrow night so you can take me out to dinner."

Nodding his assent, Auggie was about to pull her into his arms for a good night kiss when he felt her moving away. "What are you doing?"

Smiling, Annie pulled her cellphone out of her pocket and began typing. "Ending this mission properly." After a minute, during which Auggie sat quietly with a perplexed look on his face, she finished. Slipping the cellphone back into her pocket, she stood, pulling him up with her.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him, sighing with contentment as his arms came around her waist and pulling her close. He angled his head to the side, nudging her lips open and deepened the kiss, sending her nerves on fire.

Reluctantly, she pulled away, with a final whisper in his ear, "Check your e-mail after I leave."

To: August Anderson []

From: Anne Walker []

Subject: good night

Date: Saturday, June 18, 2011

Auggie:

Thanks for being my rock through everything over the past year, and for reminding me what true friendship means. As we move now into the next beautiful stage of our relationship, I look forward to coming home to your kisses after every mission.

Love,

Annie

THE END


	10. Inside Job

Title: Inside Job

Category: TV Shows » Covert Affairs

Author: Beth - Geek Chick

Language: English, Rating: Rated: T

Genre: Mystery/Romance

Published: 07-13-11, Updated: 07-26-11

Chapters: 7, Words: 10,981

Chapter 1

Annie shut the door to her locker, jumping a bit as it echoed in the large, quiet room. She'd come in early this morning, having woken up early and full of energy. A few rounds with the punching bag and a bit of time on the treadmill burnt off some of that energy, and also served to wake her up more fully. After a quick shower, she'd changed into her power suit and slid her stilettos on.

Taking a quick look at her watch, she figured she had enough time to grab some coffee and something in the form of breakfast before heading to the office. Two steps away from her locker, she heard a voice. It was so low and obviously male, it startled her, as she was in the ladies' locker room. She whipped her head around, looking up and down the row she was in. No, no one there.

Walking slowly down her aisle, she turned and peeked down the remaining two aisles of lockers and benches. Completely empty. She was the only one here. Then, the voice came again. Convinced she was alone, she tried to pinpoint the sound. Maybe someone left their phone here, or a radio or comm link. Not exactly safe or protocol, she thought. Still, her curiosity was piqued, and she stood still and listened.

Okay, now that's placed and primed. Can't believe it took this long. The voice seemed echo-y, and Annie's eyes looked above her to the exposed ductwork. One metal grate sent air into the locker room, and she walks softly until she's almost under it.

All right, then, now back to work.

A niggle of fear and apprehension skittled up Annie's spine. She'd come to know that feeling well. In the past, it signified a change of fortune for her, one that slid as far away from safe and sound as you can get.

Her initial thought was to run for help, run away, tell someone, but she stayed for a few more seconds. Silence.

Ten seconds ago, it was just as silent as it was now, but in that short space of time, Annie's adrenaline kicked in. She silently left the gym and walked as quickly as she could to her department. Joan, she thought. She'd tell Joan. She'll know what to do.

Coffee seemed a moot point right now, as she never felt more awake or energized. Into the DPD she walked, and around to the steps that led up to the upper level where Joan's office was. She took them two at a time, but came to a halt as she saw someone was in with Joan. Planting herself outside the door, she tried to quell her emotions and took the minute to decide what to tell Joan.

What did the voice say again? Was it male or female? Where did it seem to be coming from?

The door creaked open, and Annie gave a tight smile to the man who left – she couldn't remember his name, but at this moment, she didn't care. She didn't let the door shut before pushing it back open.

"Annie, what are you –"

Not letting Joan finish her sentence, Annie said quickly, "I just heard something, in the locker room."

With all the patience she could muster at her young operative, Joan set her gaze directly at her. "You've got 30 seconds."

"But –" Annie took a deep breath. "I was alone in the gym's locker room a few minutes ago. I looked around, I know I was alone. I heard a male voice, coming through the exposed vents. He said, 'Okay, that's placed, primed. Can't believe it took this long. All right, then. Now back to work.'"

When Joan didn't respond, Annie added, "I think he was placing a bomb, or perhaps a few bombs."

Joan's forehead creased at her words. "You don't know that for sure."

"I got a feeling, Joan."

"You do know where you work, don't you? You could have overheard clandestine plans for a mission, which you probably shouldn't have heard, anyway," Joan said stoicly. "But if I do subscribe to your theory, then we must go with the idea that explosives have been brought into this building and planted."

Annie nodded.

"Do I need to remind you of the security every single person that steps onto the grounds here goes through? Or did you not notice the sniffer dogs, the undercar mirrors, or the heavily armed, highly trained personnel at the gate?"

Annie wavered a bit, and her eyes dropped from Joan's face to her shoes.

"Also, once you're on the grounds, every building's entrance has another series of security, including a body scanner. It is impossible to get something in here, Annie," she said.

At the sound of her name spoken almost gently by her boss, Annie raised her eyes to her boss. "What about the weapons department? Or other departments that make the bombs? Couldn't they –"

Joan shook her head, "Nothing in not known, nothing out unknown. Unless you have more details, I cannot justify creating a panic unless one is warranted."

Annie left Joan's office feeling like a deflated balloon. She was so sure she was right. Her intuition hadn't failed her yet – well, maybe a couple of times, but this instance, she couldn't shake it off.

She was so lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice someone coming up behind her until she felt a touch at her elbow. Jumping a bit – she's got to calm down, she thought – she turned to see Auggie had found her.

"Good morning, Annie."

"Hey, Aug."

"I missed you in the Starbucks line this morning. Are you cheating on me with another barista?" he teased, his fingers sliding up her elbow to her upper arm.

Annie laughed in spite of herself. "No, I guess my workout this morning woke me up enough," she said, adding in her mind, along with a possible in-house terrorist attack.

"Mm," Auggie murmured, while squeezing her bicep. "I can tell. You were on the punching bag again, weren't you?"

"Yeah."

"You should have given me a call. I've been here for an hour. I wouldn't have minded having another sparring match with you," he said.

Annie looked over at the smiling tech op. He'd been her friend, her confidante and mentor for the past year. He'd listen to her, wouldn't he? She was half a second away from telling him what she heard when Joan's warning about creating panic where none was warranted rang through her mind. If she did tell Auggie, he'd do everything possible to help her, and there lay the problem.

She'd not only get herself in trouble, she'd drag Auggie down with her. What'd he say about committing treason to help her? No, she couldn't do that to him. She'd just have to forget what she heard this morning.

"Hey, where'd you go just then?"

"Huh?"

"You went awfully quiet. Is everything okay?"

Oh, crap, Annie thought. "No, nothing."

They'd arrived at the entrance of tech ops at this point, and Auggie reluctantly released her arm. She walked away without another word, and his inner radar kicked on. Something was bothering her. And obviously, it was something that occurred between the time he'd said good-bye to her last night after work to this morning. He took a step toward her desk to ascertain her problem when his attention was diverted by Stu, who poked his head out of tech ops.

"Hey, Auggie, need you in here."

"Good morning, how may I direct your call," Harry Templeton said into his headset. His tone belied the fact that he'd said those words thousands of times in the last decade of his life. In fact, he was sure he'd said it at least 30 times today already. And it wasn't even lunch.

"Listen to me. There are bombs located throughout the building. You will arrange the release of Jose Miguel Reynosa. Do not leave the building. If you do, I will detonate the bombs. Do not try to find them. If you do, I will detonate the bombs. Do not do anything other than your normal duties and the releasing of Reynosa. If you divert from any of my instructions, I will detonate the bombs. You have 24 hours."

Click.

Harry turned to see his supervisor walk by. "Hey, boss? I think there's something you should listen to."

Chapter 2

"Mmm, I thought you promised coffee and pastries?" Joan said, taking a drink of her coffee while she perched on the edge of Arthur's desk. "I seem to remember that last night when you crawled into bed, apologizing for missing dinner."

Arthur leaned back in his chair, a self-satisfied grin on his face as he took in the sight of his blonde bombshell wife in front of him. "Would you take a rain check? My assistant isn't in yet, and she usually brings those things."

"So the DCI director is too good to stand in line at the Starbucks, huh?" Joan teased, crossing her legs.

Arthur's retort was interrupted by the ringing of his phone. "Campbell."

Joan, her intimate tete-a-tete with her husband broken, stood up from his desk and took her coffee around to a chair. Though she usually didn't listen in on his phone calls, she couldn't help but listen once his tone changed from professional to worried.

"You're kidding. Damn it. No, we're keeping this close. Tell that operator not to tell anyone, keep him close. Where is the audio file? Okay, I'll copy it over now. Once I'm done, archive your copy, keep it hidden until you hear back from me."

He slammed down the phone, and Joan nearly jumped. She did, however, set her coffee down on his desk before saying, "Anything I should know about?"

Arthur looked up from his hands and met her eyes. "Considering you're here, you know enough about it, already. So it's yours. Operator downstairs received a phone call demanding the release of some prisoner, or they'll detonate bombs that have been placed throughout the building."

Had she not been trained to school her features and tell lies with the best of them, Joan would have jumped up from her seat shouting, "Oh, my God, Annie was right!" Instead, she merely looked concerned and worried. "Is it feasible?"

"We're getting the file now. I'll send it over to your people. Choose only a few to investigate this. We can't afford to create a panic."

Joan nodded, smirking on the inside as the words Arthur just used she uttered earlier that morning. "Send it to Auggie. He's got the equipment to work on this."

"Keep me in the loop. Oh, and by the way, we're on lockdown."

"What?" Joan asked, laughing a little.

"I'm not sure what all the audio file says, but we've got 24 hours to release the prisoner, and no one can leave the building until it's done."

"Or else?"

"Or else."

"I'm on it."

10 minutes later, Joan sat behind her desk, the eyes of six people focused on her, expectant. She took a deep breath, calming her own nerves and formulating her words carefully. The file that Arthur forwarded directly to her was cued up on her laptop, and she readied herself to press play.

"Before I go into the reasons why you all are here, I want you to listen to this."

"Listen to me. There are bombs located throughout the building. You will arrange the release of Jose Miguel Reynosa. Do not leave the building. If you do, I will detonate the bombs. Do not try to find them. If you do, I will detonate the bombs. Do not do anything other than your normal duties and the releasing of Reynosa. If you divert from any of my instructions, I will detonate the bombs. You have 24 hours."

"Joan, is this legitimate?" Jai asked.

"Until we know for sure, one way or the other, we're treating it as such."

"So I was right."

Joan turned her gaze to her youngest operative, who was sitting on the couch flanked by Auggie and Stu. Their eyes met, and Joan nodded, "Yes, it seems what you heard this morning could be related."

Annie bristled, but refused to say what she was thinking. Could be, my butt, she thought. Joan just doesn't want to admit I'm right.

"Wait, what did Annie hear? What's going on?" Auggie asked.

Joan nodded at Annie, who said, "I was in the gym's locker room this morning when I heard a man's voice. It was muffled, echo-y. No one was in the room, I looked. I then realized it was coming through the exposed air vents. I listened some more and heard a man's voice say, 'Okay, now that's placed and primed. Can't believe it took this long. All right, then, now back to work.'"

"So that's what this morning was about? Why didn't you tell me?" Auggie asked.

"Because I told her not to," Joan said. "What Annie heard could have been anything. But now that we know it's not, we've got to investigate. This information goes no further than this room. Auggie, you've got the equipment to analyze the recording. Stu, you're the audio genius. You work with him. Annie, I want you with them. Try to match the voice you heard this morning to the recording. Also, do a profile on his voice. Dialect, accent, the like. Go now."

When Joan was left with the remaining three agents, she said, "Jai, Glen and Brian, I'm leaving the finding of this prisoner, his background and the like, to you. If this person says he'll know what's happening and was able to get the bombs in here, it must be someone on the inside."

Jai nodded, "Okay, so background on the prisoner, and how the caller and bomber link up. We'll get the profile from Auggie and cross check it with the entire building. Can't we have more people on this?"

"Too many know already," Joan said, frowning. "Also, once you get that going, I want you to split up, roam the building. Be surreptitious. Look for anything that might look like a bomb. Do nothing if you do. Report it back to me. Remember, anybody here could be the turncoat."

Brian scoffed, "Anybody in this room could be the turncoat."

A chill settled in the room as glances flicked between the four of them.

Joan finally broke the ice, "Are you saying I shouldn't be looking any further?"

"Umm, no."

"Then get to work. The clock is ticking."

As Auggie, Annie and Stu were walking through the DPD bullpen on the way to Tech Ops when a voice came over the PA system.

"Attention all personnel. This is a number one priority address. The building is currently in quarantine status, as mandated by the CDC, for the next 24 hours. No one is allowed to leave the building. If you are currently experiencing any health concerns, please report to the infirmary."

The message began to repeat, and Auggie hurried his step along with Annie to Tech Ops, Stu close in behind them. Once the door was shut, Annie looked out the glass walls to see the handful of agents and support staff talking on the phones or talking amongst each other.

"Huh, I expected more yelling than this."

"It's happened before," Auggie noted.

"Really?"

"Really. Only that time, there actually was an airborne infectious disease scare. Everybody had to be tested before leaving, and the place fumigated." Auggie shivered at the memory. "Stu, you want to get that audio file loaded up for analyzation?"

"I'm on it," Stu said, disappearing into an inner room.

Annie settled into the extra chair beside Auggie's desk. She had so many things running through her mind now. One part of her was formulating a plan to tell Danielle and the girls as to why she wouldn't be home for supper. Another part was angry at Joan for the sudden about-face. A larger part, though, was chastising herself for not being more forthright and forceful with Joan this morning when she first told her.

Maybe they could've immediately started looking for the guy. Maybe they could have been waiting for that phone call and been able to trace it. Maybe –

"So, you were going to tell me when?" Auggie asked.

"I'm sorry?" Annie asked, pulled out of her own thoughts.

"You were going to eventually tell me about the voice you hear this morning, right?"

Annie sighed, "Not now, Auggie. I've got a lot on my mind."

"I know. I could tell this morning something was bothering you, but you said you were fine. Since when do you keep things from me?"

"Since Joan expressly forbade me to do so," Annie said, her frustration building. "And yeah, hindsight's 20/20, isn't it? But think about it. She was right, at the time. What I heard wasn't enough to create a panic."

"But you had a hunch, didn't you?" he asked, placing his elbows on his knees and leaning towards her.

"It's probably just my paranoia and overactive imagination."

"No, it was a hunch, one that now has us in a 24-hour lockdown and in danger for our lives."

"I feel bad enough, Auggie. You don't have to rub it in."

"I'm not –"

"You know what?" Annie huffed, standing up. "I'm gonna help Stu out with the audio recording."

Chapter 3

An hour later, Annie sauntered back into Auggie's office and dropped into the chair she previously occupied. "Stu's got the background on that Jose guy."

"I know, he's put it through to me. I'm running a cross-check of any name that came up in the case to the name of everyone who has access to this building," Auggie said, slipping off his headphones.

Annie grunted and crossed her hands on her stomach, leaning back in the chair and shutting her eyes. "Guess this is going to take a while, huh?"

"The fact that the caller's voice was male, and the voice you heard was male narrows it down. Could you tell if the caller and the guy in the vent shaft were the same person?"

"Not with any degree of certainty. The voice I heard was echo-y, distorted. The guy on the phone didn't seem like he was using anything to fake his voice. Gender is about the only thing we've got going for us at this point," Annie said with a sigh, shutting her eyes once again.

Auggie noted by the sounds of her sliding in the chair that she planned on staying there for a while. "You know we're supposed to go about our daily business, right?"

"I know."

"Then why are you here instead of at your desk?" he asked.

"I plan on hiding under your desk if a bomb goes off," Annie answered matter-of-factly.

Auggie fought a smile at her reply. "You've got a desk."

"Yours is larger and made of higher grade glass, looks like it could stop anything sharp flying through the air."

Weak excuse, Auggie thought. Then, he wonders if she's hiding her worry behind clever witticisms. "Hey, it'll be okay."

"Yeah, sure," Annie said, trying not to sound so defeated, but failing.

"You've gotten through worse, Annie, and this time you're surrounded by professionals."

"I know, Auggie."

"Then what's with the grumpy attitude?"

Annie hesitated before answer. "I should have said something. Earlier, when I heard that voice, I should have said something. I should have done something, followed the voice, raised an alarm. Even when Joan told me I should just back off, I shouldn't have. I should have –"

"Annie, it's not your fault," Auggie interrupted.

"Yes, it is."

Turning quickly towards her, he reaches out a hand, settling on her shoulder, where he gaves a soft squeeze. "No, it isn't."

"You don't have to do that," Annie sighed.

"Do what? Be a friend? Comfort you?"

"Yeah."

Auggie's hand jerked off her shoulder, and he slid back under his desk. "Oh, okay." Putting his headphones back on, he proceeds to ignore her presence.

As frustrating as Auggie's feel-good attitude was given her current mood, Annie found his complete ignorance of her even worse. Before she could stop herself, she reached over and yanked his headphones off of his head.

"What the hell?" Auggie shouted, whirling back to her.

"So that's how it's going to be? I don't respond to your come-ons, and you turn your back on me?"

Auggie nearly ground his teeth to keep his temper in check. When he successfully willed it back down, he said, "I'm just trying to do what you want me to, Annie."

"I didn't say I wanted you to act like a jerk."

"I wasn't acting like a jerk."

Annie huffed, "You were acting like something."

Auggie sat back in his chair, "What's going on here, really?"

"I feel like I should be doing something," Annie said. "I haven't seen Jai or the other guys for hours now. I know Joan's got them doing something, and I'm stuck here –" She stopped before she saying "stuck here with you."

"I feel like I'm responsible, and before you say anything, I'm not blaming myself. I just should be out there with them."

Auggie didn't say anything, didn't even turn and return to his work. He merely sat stoicly.

"Isn't this the point where you tell me to calm the hell down?"

"Oh, now you want me to comfort you?"

"Sarcasm does not become you, August Anderson," Annie said, bristling at his tone.

"That's not sarcasm, but a valid question." Auggie took a deep breath and leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees. "Look, Annie, I'm doing my job and following orders, as are you. But I'm also your friend. I care about you, yet you don't seem to want that anymore."

Annie relented, finding that her misplaced anger was doing more harm than good. "I do want that, and I care about you, too."

The tension in the room lifted significantly as both of them took a deep breath. As the silence stretched, Annie found herself smiling. "Is this where we hug it out?"

"I'd love to," Auggie said with a wink, "but I've still got glass walls, don't I?"

"Uhh, yes, of course."

"Then rain check."

"It's just a hug," Annie laughed.

"Guess you haven't heard the rumors, then."

"Rumors?" Annie asked, perplexed. Then, as the truth dawned on her, she said, "Wait, about us?"

"Yep."

Annie laughed, "Ooh, what kind of rumors?"

"So all of a sudeen, you're into office gossip?" he asked.

"If it has to do with me, of course I am," she said, scooting her chair closer to him.

Auggie lowered his voice, "Well, 50% of the rumors say we've already slept together. 25% say no, not at all. The other 25% aren't sure."

Annie's eyes went wide. "Okay, that's oddly unsettling. Did you conduct a poll or something?"

Auggie smirked, as he realized her bad mood has successfully been banished. "No poll, just culmination of overheard remarks."

"I see," Anie said, nodding. "So, what's the over/under on us?"

Leaning further toward her, Auggie lowered his voice a few octaves, asking, "Why are you asking? Do you want to bet on sleeping with me?"

Annie's breath caught in her throat as a warm and sudden wave rode down her spine. Though she'd picked up his gauntlet of flirtation a few seconds ago, she's wondering how much further to take this. Then, with one glance at his face, she realized he's not teasing, and her answer is made for her. "Who says I'd have to actually sleep with you?" she asks. "One whisper to the right person, and that other 50% will be proved wrong."

As Annie had never before responded to his teasing, her answer flusters him for just a second. He reacts without even thinking. "And what if I refute your claim?"

"I don't think you would."

"Why wouldn't I?"

Annie closed the distance between them by a few more inches and whispered, "Because, August Anderson, you started hitting on me within five minutes of meeting me. Had I not needed a friend more than a bed partner, I might have taken you up on your offer."

His mouth dropped open, and if she wasn't imagining things, Annie could swear that his eyes dilated, as well. She was about to reach out her hand to grasp his when Stu appears at the doorway of their connected rooms.

"We've found him!"

"What?" Auggie croaks out, jumping back behind his desk.

Stu marched into the room to see the same information that was on his computer on his boss', as well. "God, Auggie, he's right on your screen, haven't you been listening?"

Chapter 4

A handful of tense seconds pass as Auggie pulls his headphones back up around his ears and quickly reads the information on his screen. Annie does the same, standing and moving behind him to read it better.

When they both finish, not a sound could be heard in the room. Then, "Stu? Annie?"

"Yes?"

"I'm here," Annie said, placing a warm hand on his shoulder.

"Come with me. Keep your movements normal, we're just going to Joan's office, like normal."

"But he's not in the department, surely –"

Auggie shushed Annie with a strong hand on hers, "The voice on the phone intimated that he's got eyes and ears everywhere. We need to keep this quiet. Let's go."

Stu decided to go first, quickly grabbing a random file from Auggie's desk and walked out of tech ops, taking a circuitous route to Joan's office on the top tier. Auggie took the time to forward the search results to Joan, adding a note that they'll all be there in a few minutes.

Then, he stood and turned to Annie. "Ready to go save the world?"

His wink and smile that accompanied the question broke through Annie's tension, and she laughed, shaking her head. "We're not saving the world, Auggie. Just our little part of it."

"Since you're in that 'little part of it,' it is the whole world. My world, at least."

"Oh, okay," Annie said quietly. "Listen, when all this –"

"Did you mean what you said earlier?" he interrupted, taking a step closer and reaching up for her elbow.

"What did I say earlier?"

"That if you weren't so in need of a friend, you would've succumbed to my attentions?"

And suddenly, what had been a bit of lighthearted banter – the kind they'd always engaged in – became THE question. One that, despite the dire situation they were in, and despite the need for quick actions and movements, needed answered. Right here, right now. She knew she'd never get a second chance.

"Yes."

The change that came over him was instantaneous. His fingers at her elbow tightened, then caressed. His shoulders – no, his entire torso undulated, moving as the relevance of her answer sunk in. And she could swear she saw his pupils dilate. His mouth opened slightly with a suddenly outrush of breath before widening out to the smile.

"Annie, I have to say –"

"That we need to get to Joan's office to save the world?" Annie supplied, taking a step back and tugging him along with her elbow.

He blinked and swallowed. "Yes, yes, of course. But later?"

"Yes, later."

They made it to Joan's office a minute later, with Annie having to use more effort than usual to school her features into a look of normalcy. Auggie's touch on her elbow somehow had more meaning, as it had moved from the usual guiding touch to the grip of someone holding her close. She wondered if he realized what he was doing, but he, too, had cloaked his previous look of adoration and surprise into one of almost boredom.

When they opened Joan's door, Stu was there, along with Jai and the other two agents who'd been let into the secret.

"Joan, did you get the file?" Auggie asked, letting go of Annie's elbow, but keeping her near him, all the same.

"Yes, and I have to say, it came as quite a surprise to me. But Stu said he double-checked everything, and there's no mistake."

"So what do we do?" Jai asked. "We've did a quick, but thorough check. We couldn't find any devices."

Joan sat back in her chair. "I'm going on the assumption here that this man is operating alone. He placed the devices this morning – what Annie heard confirms that – and then his call to the switchboard was pre-planned, perhaps a timed recording."

"That makes perfect sense," Jai agreed, nodding. "He's in the building already, and through some type of surveillance or listening device or maybe even unwitting accomplices, he's able to track what's going on throughout the departments."

Joan nodded, her mouth twisting as she thought. "We need to get him up here. If he says he can set off the bombs at any time, he probably has something of a dead man's switch, a handheld device. So we need to get him in here without him becoming suspicious."

The room fell into silence as everyone thought.

Then Joan spoke, "Annie, it's up to you."

"No."

Auggie's emphatic denial of Joan's directive had all heads turn towards him.

"Excuse me?" Joan asked. "I didn't hear a question in my statement that required an answer."

"We can just call him, make something up, maybe –" Auggie fished in his mind for a plausible scenario.

"Annie has a knack for making people trust her. She's proved it in the past. She can do it," Joan said, turning her gaze to the blonde agent. "Annie?"

"Of course, Joan," Annie said, straightening her shoulders. She ignored the tenseness she felt radiating off of Auggie to her right. "How about I say we need his input on what he heard in the call, that something went wrong with the recording?"

"Sounds perfect. We'll all be in the bullpen, so you just need to get him through the door."

Annie nodded, turned and left. She was halfway down the steps to the bullpen when she heard hurried steps behind her. She paused, knowing who was following her.

"Annie, let Jai do this, anybody, just –"

"Auggie, please, let me do this. Trust me, I can pull this off."

She saw his jaw clench, and he hand begin to reach out to her before it stopped, his fingers tightening into a fist. "Okay, just – be careful."

"We'll talk – later," Annie whispered, running her hand down his upper arm. Then she continued on, across the bullpen and out the glass doors of the DPD.

Where she was headed she'd only been to once, when she first arrived at the CIA and had been given the obligatory tour. But she remembered where it was. The office was out of the way, almost a hole in the wall. Its duty and usefulness served its purpose, but wasn't as glamorous or high-tech or high-profile as the other departments.

Maybe that's what spurned his homicidal and treasonous behavior, Annie thought. From the information Stu and Auggie had found, he did have a link to this Reynosa prisoner, but beyond that, she couldn't reason out a valid excuse as to why he'd attack his own employer.

Well, she thought as she approached the office door, they'd learn soon enough. Right now, all she had to do was get him up to the department. She took a few seconds before opening the door to transform. All worrying and suspicious thoughts left her mind, left her face. She was Annie Walker, unsuspecting junior agent in the DPD, who was given the menial task of retrieving the man who first heard the threatening phone call.

The door squeaked when she opened it, and the man sitting at the phone bank turned at the sound.

"Excuse me, are you Harry Templeton?" Annie asked, with her best "trust me, I'm innocent" smile on her face.

"Yes, yes, I am," Harry answered, his eyes traveling down the young woman's curvy frame to her spike heels and back up again. With a leering smile, he cocked his head to the side. "I don't usually allow visitors here, but if they all look like you, I might have to change my rule."

Annie blushed, batting her eyes down before returning his smile. "Thanks. And I'd love to have this be a social call, but I have a favor to ask you?"

"Anything, sweet thing."

Annie took a couple of steps toward him. "My department is the one handling that phone call you got this morning?"

"Oh, yes."

"Well, I'm not sure what they were talking about, something about the quality of the recording or something," Annie said, waving her hand in the air. "They were just wondering if you could come up, listen to it, give them some more information?"

She saw him look a little apprehensive, and she added, "I'm sure it'll only take a few minutes. And then, when they're done with you, I could walk you back, maybe stop by for some coffee?"

The leer was back, and Annie fought hard to quell the feeling of revulsion building in the gut of her stomach. She'd had to employ these type of tactics in the past and was quite good at it, she thought. But it was one thing to give a fake come-on to a foreign terrorist and quite another to do so to one of her fellow Americans. In particular, one that obviously had no qualms about hurting those he worked closely with.

"Well, since you put it that way, how can I refuse?" Harry said, standing up. "After you, sweet thing."

Chapter 5

Joan stood next to Jai at his desk, taking note of everyone she'd made sure was available. She'd placed them at intervals throughout the bullpen, instructing everyone about the possibility of a dead man's switch and the possible fight Templeton might give them should he catch onto their scheme. The door to tech ops opened, and Auggie leaned on the jamb, Stu behind his shoulder.

She nodded, everything was set. Soon the glass door of the DPD opened. Annie walked in first, with Harry Templeton close behind. Joan noted with a mild sense of disgust how the man's eyes stayed on the woman's skirt-clad legs as he held the door open.

He hasn't changed, she thought. Templeton, now in his 60s, was once an agent, she knew. When she first started, he was the BAOC, as they called him then. Big Agent On Campus. Good-looking, talented, and with enough "gets" under his belt, he could have made director in good time. Then, 15 years ago, he had a heart attack and was grounded, confined to desk work. There weren't many people left who remembered Harry Templeton, but Joan never forgot him.

Keeping her nonchalant and casual façade still intact as she walked into the bullpen, Annie could still feel Templeton's eyes on her butt. She stayed ahead of him a step, though, as her eyes quickly gaze around, spotting Joan, Jai and a half dozen other agents. Auggie, as well, who stood in the doorway of tech ops, his jaw set. She longed to take off at a sprint to him, but she kept up her act. Only a few more minutes.

As Templeton shook his mind off of the potential that this lovely lady might provide after he gets through with this little task, he straightened up, his eyes taking in the "new" department that he'd only dreamed of in his day.

As his gaze swept around the room, he noted the personnel scattered around, headed by a tall, beautiful blonde. Joan Campbell, he smirked. She was only a newbie when he last saw her, but he followed her career through the years. And now she was a director in her own right. The position he'd be in at this point had his health not failed him.

He turned to her, taking a couple of steps, when he felt something he hadn't for a few years. A niggle up his spine. He'd felt it before, when he was an agent.

Something was not quite right.

His instincts, though rusty and unused, screamed at him. With his right hand, he pulled the young blonde agent to him, nearly knocking her off of her feet on those ridiculously high spike heels. He wrapped his arm around her neck, clenching his fingers tightly to her shoulder and pulled her flush to his body.

With his other hand, he dove into his pocket and retrieved the device, the one thing that kept him still in control of his situation.

"Don't you people listen to instructions?" he shouted, tightening his grip on Annie as she continued to struggle. "Where is Reynosa?"

Taking a couple of steps closer, Joan said coolly, "In prison, where he should be."

"Damn you, Joan."

Joan cocked an eyebrow. "Perhaps, but did you really think you could get away with this? Your skills have diminished over the years. Every single bomb you planted in this building has been found and disabled."

Harry Templeton blinked, his grip on Annie and the device faltering for half a second. "No, I don't believe that."

As Joan negotiated with the former agent, Stu clasped Auggie's upper arm and whispered, "He's holding her, one arm around her neck, hand clenching her shoulder."

He was too far away to do any good, Auggie knew, though every instinct in him wanted to launch himself across the room and pummel the hell out of the man who held Annie.

Instead, he reached his hand up and placed it on the frame of the door and began to tap.

The grip Templeton had on her shoulder belied his somewhat pudgy stature, and given what Annie knew he had in his other hand, she tried to stay still, stay calm. Though Joan told the man they'd disarmed the bombs, she knew they hadn't. Though she was closest, there was no way she'd be able to maneuver herself to take the device off of him.

She found herself beginning to hyperventilate, so she looked around for something to focus on. Auggie stood strong and silent by his door, so she concentrated on him, the strength in his face and eyes. A small movement pulled her eyes to his hand, and she saw him tapping on his door frame.

What the hell, she thought, he's nervous? No, Annie thought, the tapping is too methodical, with pauses. Morse code! Trust Auggie to find a way to communicate to her even when she doesn't have an earpiece of a phone. Focusing on the tapping, she realized he's repeating the same phrase. Wrist pressure point. For a few seconds, she wondered what he was talking about. Then she remembered.

Their sparring and fighting sessions. They'd gone over the basic moves, and there was one that Annie had mastered. The wrist takedown. She'd nearly broken Auggie's wrist once with it.

But what if he resisted? What if she wasn't fast enough, or the other agents weren't, and he set off the bombs before they can get to the device?

Her thoughts are pulled away as the tapping changes. Annie. Please. For us.

She closed her eyes for a second to gather her strength. Then, opening them, she trained her gaze to Joan, imploring her. As Joan's eyes met hers, she nodded imperceptibly.

She knew she only had a few seconds to do what she planned, so with one quick move, she changes her grip on his arm.

Harry Templeton's eyes are focused on Joan and her words – words he knows are lies – when a sudden pain erupted in his arm and hand. The pain was such that his grip was compromised, and before he knew what happened, the blonde slipped from his grip.

The second she felt his arm loosen, Annie moved out of the way. It seemed the entire force of agents mobilized, and she wanted as far away from the scrum as possible. There was only one place she wanted to be right now, and Auggie met her halfway to tech ops, gathering her in his arms as she fell into him.

"Gaah! Let go of me!" Harry Templeton screamed as four sets of strong arms took hold of him and plastered him against the wall. His fingers grabbed at the trigger device, but it was soon plucked from his grip, and he screamed in frustration.

"As I said before, Harry, did you really think you could get away with this?" Joan asked.

Chapter 6

As the shouting and groaning continued to echo through the bullpen, Auggie wrapped his arm around Annie's shaking shoulders. "Come on."

Annie didn't bother asking where he was taking her, or why. She just needed to get out of there, somehow, to calm her nerves. It's one thing to stare down the barrel of a gun aimed at her, she thought. It's another to be in the grip of a madmen who threatened to blow up everyone and everything she knew.

Auggie didn't take her far, just to an empty office, one with privacy. Once the door was closed, he leaned against it and pulled her against his chest. She didn't cry. He didn't expect her to, but he could feel her small frame shaking, her pulse racing beneath her skin.

He tightened his arms around her back and tucked her head under his chin. He whispered words of comfort, telling her it's all done, everything's going to be fine. Soon her breathing eased, and she stopped shaking.

Annie kept her eyes closed as she melted into the warm, safe cocoon of Auggie's arms. Her fingers gripped the lapels of his jacket, and as the initial shock wore off, her senses became aware of the fact that Auggie was holding her flush against him, his lips by her ear in her hair, whispering.

She slowly released her death grip on his jacket to smooth her hands across his chest.

Auggie felt her relax and said, "Hell of a day, huh?"

Annie gave a weak chuckle. "Yeah."

"I should probably let you go now."

"If you want."

"That's just it," Auggie said, dropping his head closer to speak directly into her ear. "I don't."

The words sent a shiver down Annie's back. "They'll probably come looking for us."

"Mm, probably."

"Have to debrief with Joan."

Auggie nodded, "And interrogate Templeton, find the bombs."

"It'll most likely take all day and night."

Auggie nodded, his cheek rubbing against her hair.

"Will we ever get a chance, Auggie?" she whispered.

Shutting his eyes against the question, Auggie immediately sees the double meaning in her question and knows she's not just talking about today. She's asking about their entire future, and what other speed bumps would be put into their path.

When she'd left to get Templeton not 20 minutes ago, he felt such a sense of loss, of actual pain. He'd gone directly to his office and sat, thinking hard and trying to quell his racing heartbeat.

He hadn't felt that afraid or scared for someone else for four years. His mind had flashed back to the final few scenes he had in his memory. Scenes of him running, screaming to his Army buddies that there was a bomb, it was a set-up. But he'd been too late then as the explosion occurred. He saw a brilliant flash of white light, and then nothing.

His fear subsided this time only when Stu came in and said that Annie was on her way back. And now, she was here, in his arms, safe. He may have helped a bit getting her free from Templeton's grasp, but he knew it was her strength and courage and intellect that got her through.

It was what dres him to her in the first place. Something about her had told him she wasn't like any other woman he'd ever met. It was why, as she had teasingly told him earlier, his intentions toward her changed from another sexual conquest to actually getting to know this woman.

As he stood there thinking, inhaling her scent and enjoying the warmth of her body as it pressed against his, he felt her move, her hands against his chest pressing slightly. He relaxed his grip around her back.

"We should get back," he said.

But, though his hands are now loosely draped on her waist, she doesn't move. She's still pressed up against him. Her hands move up his chest to his open collar, smoothing across his neck.

A gentle tug, and her lips are on his. Hard, insistent, and filled with such promise of passion and forever that Auggie gasped into her mouth. His fingers clenched into the material covering her waist, pulling her hard against him.

Then she pulled back, all too soon, when a knock sounded on the door she'd pressed Auggie up against. With a sigh, she stepped back out of his embrace, and Auggie turned and opened the door.

Joan stood there, her face calm despite the situation. "We're about to interrogate Templeton, if you'd like to watch?"

"Of course," Annie said, and looping her arm through Auggie's, they followed Joan down the hallway.

Chapter 7

In the end, it ended up being Joan who got the first shot at interrogating Harry Templeton. Only a small number of people actually knew what was going on. No one else besides the small group Joan allowed in the DPD bullpen while Templeton was taken into custody knew the reason why the switchboard operator was relieved of duty and the quarantine lifted.

Officially, Templeton had a medical setback, and the "airborne illness" was ruled negated. A couple of hours passed as Templeton was searched and placed in a room and chained to the desk.

During that 120-minute stew, a search of his work area and home was quickly and thoroughly carried out. Armed with all the new information gathered from the searches, Joan headed to the interrogation room.

She may have been alone with the treasonous former agent, but Joan felt as safe as she would if the entire of the Armed Forces was behind her. A blinking light in the corner showed the proceedings were being taped, and she had two pairs of ears and one pair of eyes on the other side of the one-way glass behind her.

Though everyone in the small knowing group wanted to "sit in," Joan only required one person: Annie Walker. She needed her to formally verify that Templeton's voice was the one she heard early that morning. The second set of ears belonged to Auggie Anderson. Since she'd found the two in an empty office after Templeton had been secured, Auggie hadn't left her side, nor had Annie let go of his arm.

File in hand, Joan walked into the room and sat in the empty chair. She could feel Templeton's eyes on hers, but she felt nothing from the daggers he was staring into her.

"Your office and home have been searched," she stated. "The crude, hand-drawn map you'd made pinpointed the location of every bomb you'd placed around the building. They have been located and disarmed."

Joan allowed a small giggle to escape her lips. "Getting a little forgetful in your old age, Harry? Had to write down where and how you planned to destroy us?"

His smirking, unmoving body language twitched a bit at her jibe, his hands clenching into fists as the handcuffs jangled.

Joan continued, "Reynosa, as I said before, is living out his own pension in a maximum security jail where you put him 20 years ago. Now, saving the lives of the people you put in danger was my highest priority, but now that that's been taken care of, we've looked a little further. Treason, risking a catastrophe, and probably attempted mass murder would be enough to put you on death row, but truthfully, Harry? I want to know why."

The smirk was back on the face of the man sitting not two feet away from Joan. And as she waited for the answer she knew wasn't coming, she took in the features she hadn't seen in years. Harry Templeton was a bit older than Arthur, and had he kept up his health, would probably still look as handsome as he did when he dropped down in the middle of the department 15 years ago, clutching his chest.

But now, his middle stretched larger than his chest. His hair, though still thick and full, had faded to gray. And the lines in his face and under his eyes showed a tired, aging man. The only thing that was still the same were the intelligent blue eyes and charming smile that she was sure he still used to charm the ladies.

"No, I didn't think you'd give yourself up so easily. You knew how to keep your cover intact, even in the most dire of circumstances." Sitting back, Joan lightly crossed her arms over her chest. "We searched, but other than your involvement with Reynosa's takedown, we couldn't find anything else that tied you two together. Which we would need, of course, to make your whole threat believable."

The corner of his lip twitched, and Joan knew she had him. "No payouts, no correspondence, nothing. But then I thought, Harry's one of the best. He wouldn't just let a probable million dollar transfer of funds sit in his checking account. No, he'd make sure nothing tied him back to Reynosa."

His head lifted a bit, and Joan leaned forward, pointing a finger toward his chest. "But then I had another thought. A memory, actually, of a name. I seem to remember you telling me once over drinks when I was a rookie about your cover identity. Does the name Lance Brooks ring a bell?"

And, as his mouth dropped open, it was Joan's turn to smirk. "Yes, you told me all about this smooth casanova cover you'd dreamed up. Back then, I was enthralled, though I thought at the time that Lance Brooks sounded almost like a porn name. So I had my people do a search for a Mr. Lance Brooks, and guess what I found?"

"Damn you," Harry growled through gritted teeth.

"Now, now, Harry," Joan said. "I'm sure you had it all planned out. Hell, you've probably been planning this for years. But you forgot that we've been doing this for years, too, Harry. The accounts of the fictitious Lance Brooks, including real estate and possessions, have been frozen and seized."

The handcuffs jangled loudly in the room as Harry attempted to reach for Joan. For her part, Joan didn't even flinch. She just waited for Harry to start talking, as she knew he would. They always did.

A full minute passed in which Harry Templeton swung between anger, despair and all-out rage. Finally, as the reality of the situation set in, he collapsed into his chair. "Joan, please, you gotta understand. I had to do it."

An arched eyebrow raised at his first full sentence.

"No, listen to me. I applied for restatement back into the field five years ago, and they rejected me! My doctor – hell, a slew of doctors – pronounced me fit for duty, but Arthur refused! He said I was too old, too slow, and too much of a liability. Joan, you know what happens when your desk duty years eclipse the number of years you spend in the field."

At this, Joan nodded. "The retirement and benefits package are based on the highest percentage of whichever one takes precedence."

"Exactly," Harry said with a smile. "You do understand."

"I understand you're angry at my husband. It doesn't explain why you threatened to kill all of us and let a dangerous man out of prison."

The smile faded, and Harry hung his head. "I tried to accept the future your husband was forcing upon me, but –" Harry shook his head. "Why should I? I was the best, Joan. The best! Reynosa would still be dealing drugs to kids and killing civilians if it weren't for me. After Arthur turned me down, a few weeks later, I got a phone call. One of Reynosa's people were offering me everything I could dream of if I could get him released."

"There were other ways that could be done, Harry. Why threaten the very people you work with?"

Harry scoffed, "I'd been rejected and laughed at by the 'very people I work with,' Joan. Even if you did call my bluff and not release Reynosa, at least I could get my own revenge."

Joan nodded, and with a sigh, she stood and gathered the papers back into her file. Without a word, she turned and left the room. As she stood in the hallway, the door to the adjoining room opened.

"Is that all?" Annie asked. "Don't you need to get more information out of him?"

Joan shook her head, "No, we'd gotten everything we needed to take Harry down even before I set foot in that room. I just needed to hear it for myself. You know," she said as she passed by the couple, "he really was one of the best."

Annie sat on Auggie's couch, knees tucked up to her chest as she stared out the window. The inky black sky filled her vision as the stars began blinking into existence. Though she'd been awake nearly 18 hours, she felt no compunction to go to sleep. After being dismissed for the day by Joan and given instructions not to come back for two days, she talked Auggie – without much effort – into letting her stay at his place for the night.

He'd agreed readily, and after stopping for dinner at the local Chinese place, they'd entered his apartment. She'd gone directly to his couch and curled up while he went to change clothes.

A movement and depression in the couch pulled her eyes away from the soothing vision out the window.

"You okay?" Auggie asked, turning towards her and laying his arm along the back of the couch.

"Yeah. Long day, you know?"

Auggie nodded. He knew she'd been up early, and given the late hour now, he could only guess at why she was here, awake, and curled up on his couch. "Can I get you something to drink?"

Annie shook her head, and seeing the openness of his body language, untucked her legs and crawled over to him, laying her head on his shoulder. She wasn't sure whether or not he'd accept her new position, but she soon felt his hand settle on her shoulder.

"If you're tired, you can take my bed," Auggie said, stroking her arm.

"Mm, in a little bit," Annie replied.

"Please tell me you're not still frustrated about this morning."

"No, just a bit worried."

"About us?"

"No, of course not," she said. "Worried about if what happened to Harry Templeton could happen to me."

Auggie's fingers stilled in its caress of her shoulder. "Not what I would have guessed. But believe me, Annie, you are nothing like him."

"Joan looked up to him. Apparently, nobody had any idea that he'd turn on his country like that."

"Also, as far as I know, he was alone, thought of no one but himself his entire life, and felt so entitled that the first time he was told no in his life, he acted like a petulant child. A psychotic petulant child, but a child, nonetheless."

"But –"

A sudden shift of the man beside her interrupted her words. Auggie's free arm came around her, his free hand cupped her jaw. "Listen to me. The only thing you and Harry Templeton had in common was the same company distributes your paychecks. You have more compassion and intellect and courage than any other agent I've ever met. You are nothing like him, Annie. Understand?"

The sincerity in his voice, if nothing else, rendered Annie mute, and she could do nothing but nod.

"Now that we've gotten that out of the way," he said, his grip on her jaw softening to a caress, "can we get onto more important things?"

"Like – like what?" Annie asked.

"Didn't you tell me something in my office this afternoon?"

"Oh, you mean how I felt guilty that I hadn't pressed harder for Joan to do something when I'd heard that voice in the locker room?" Annie asked.

Auggie shook his head.

"Hmm, do you want me to apologize for calling you a jerk?"

Auggie shook his head again, his fingers gliding even further across her jaw to her chin. As he ran his thumb under her bottom lip, it parted from the top, and he leaned a few inches closer until he could just barely feel her breath on his skin. "You said something about proving the other 50% of our co-workers wrong about something."

Annie's breath came in and out slowly as she formulated her answer, which became increasingly difficult to do given his proximity. "If I remember correctly, all that was required to do that was just slipping a few words to the right gossipmonger."

"What do you say we erase all doubt permanently?" he whispered, his lips now so close to hers that she could feel her warmth of her own breath between them.

"It would make things simpler. You can't really trust that gossipmongers will get the story straight," she said.

With a quick smile, Auggie shook his head before lowering himself to the lips he'd parted. The kiss they'd shared hours before had been quick, hot, stolen. Now that he had time, he made sure to enjoy it. Enjoy the softness, her taste, the scent of her. Her hands slid quickly up to around his neck, and he adjusted his arms, as well, angling them both around her back as their mouths explored each other. He'd brushed his tongue along the inside of her lip first, but she quickly responded, tasting him back, nibbling along his lower lip.

He could feel his own passion building as her breath inccreased, and she shifted in the couch to press nearer and nearer to him. When they broke for air, he took the opportunity to gather her up in his arms and stand, crossing the room quickly to the bed.

THE END


	11. It's my number

Title: It's my number

Category: TV Shows » Covert Affairs

Author: Beth - Geek Chick

Language: English, Rating: Rated: T

Genre: Friendship/Romance

Published: 10-18-10, Updated: 10-25-10

Chapters: 5, Words: 8,717

Chapter 1

"We're done here, Auggie, you should go home, get some sleep," Joan said, sliding open the door to Tech Ops and walking in. "You'll be needed tomorrow when the team returns."

Auggie sat at his desk, head laying in the crook of his arm. He wasn't sleeping, only resting, taking what little he could. It was an Army technique he'd learned quick during his time in the desert.

As he heard Joan come in, he straightened up, stretching his aching back. The mission was over, the team was coming back, but the ending, though successful in the retrieval of their mark, resulted in tragedy.

He could still hear Annie's voice shouting Ben's name, mixed in with shouts from Jai and the loud whir of helicopter blades. He'd yelled for a sit rep several times before Jai replied, saying Ben was shot, but the rest of them were okay. The rest of the events had passed in a blur, and Auggie was exhausted. He'd tried to talk to Annie, but she didn't answer, and Jai finally told him that she was fine, but too upset to talk. He also got in a jibe about how busy they were getting out of the country, and he'd take care of Annie.

So Auggie waited, sometimes patiently, but the rest of the time pacing and snapping at anyone who'd venture to speak to him. It'd been several hours, and he'd yet to hear from Annie or Jai. Finally, he took to resting at his desk, ears still on high alert for any kind of chatter.

And now Joan was telling him to go home. But he knew he couldn't. He had to make sure Annie was okay. He knew she hadn't gotten hurt, but that was the least of his worries. He'd tried to shield her from her devotion to Mercer, tried to stop her involvement in the mission, in fact, but she begged to go. She never said why, but he soon realized she needed to see him, needed to get the answers of questions that had plagued her for years.

So he let her go, but not without giving her a GPS tracking device and emergency phone number in case something went down. It wasn't that he didn't trust Jai or Mercer, or Annie, for that matter, but he felt fiercely protective when it came down to her.

"In a bit, Joan. They might still call in, want to make sure she's okay before I leave," he said, standing to face his boss.

"Jai's handling things, Auggie," Joan said, placing her hand on his shoulder. "There's nothing more you can do here. Go home."

"I can stay for a while longer," Auggie said, sitting back down in his chair and turning away from her.

Joan opened her mouth to speak, but shut it again. She knew what Auggie was waiting for and wanted to tell him that Annie would talk in her own time, but knew he wouldn't listen. Nodding her head in resignation, she turned again to the door. "See you tomorrow, then."

As his door slid shut, Auggie sighed. Maybe she was right, he thought. He couldn't expect Annie to call him to tell him that she was all right. She must know that Jai reported their situation in, and given that the love of her life had died in her arms, he imagined she had other things to worry about now.

He set about shutting down his equipment and was stowing away his headphones when he heard a peculiar ringtone. It emanated from a CIA cellphone laying on his desk, but it was different from the normal ringtone that usually came from it.

Then he remembered. The emergency phone number he had given Annie before she'd left. He had configured it to ring through to his phone at his home, but also be forwarded to the office, in case she called while he was there.

He hurriedly grabbed it off the desk and answered it on the third ring.

"Annie?" he said, his voice full of worry.

"Hey, Auggie, yeah, it's me."

Her voice sounded hollow, and a sudden fear rose up on him.

"Are you okay? They said you didn't get hurt, and you were on your way back. Did something happen? Where's Jai?" Auggie asked frantically.

"I'm fine, Auggie, don't worry. I - I didn't get hurt. And Jai's taking care of everything, getting our mark out of the country, and dealing with Ben's body."

The last two words were said softly and shaky, and Auggie swallowed, feeling her pain through the phone.

"I just needed to talk to someone. I - I know you said to only call this number in an emergency, and I could have just called the office and talked to you, but -"

"Don't worry about that now, it's okay," Auggie said, relief flooding through him as he realized she wasn't in any kind of trouble. Actually, he thought, he was glad she called, as he didn't think he'd be able to sleep until he heard her voice.

"Well, I just didn't want to run the risk of anyone else answering, or the call being recorded or anything. Guess this means I owe you a sandwich now, huh?"

He heard her laugh, but it sounded wrong, almost hysterical, with a tinge of sadness. "No, of course not. Do you - do you want to talk about it?"

"If you don't mind -"

"I'm here."

"They carried Ben away as soon as we landed, wouldn't let me go with him. I guess I was a bit hysterical and crying. Jai took me to some kind of hotel, I don't even know where it is, made me promise to stay here until he got back."

"So he's not there with you?" Auggie asked, mentally cursing the man for leaving her alone. She seemed not to hear him and continued talking.

"I thought I'd already cried enough over Ben, but I guess I was wrong. I can't believe he's gone. After an hour, the tears just - well, they stopped. I've been sitting here, waiting for Jai, staring out the window for hours now. He said he'd be back by now, but -"

"He'll be there, Annie. Don't worry," Auggie replied.

"You know, I had thought about just walking out of here, leaving. For a long time, Ben was my world, even after he'd left. I kept pictures of us in a scrapbook, wore the shell bracelet he bought for me and prayed for him to return. And when he did, what did he do? Use me, used my love and trust in him to run his ops and even return with him to the our place. And now he's gone, and I'm not sure what to do now."

Auggie sighed, hearing the pain and anger in her voice and wishing he could be there with her, to help shoulder some of the anguish she was experiencing. Damn it, Jai, he thought, how could you just leave her alone like that? "Annie, what can I do?"

"Just what you do best, listen. But I guess you're still at work, right? And too busy to hear me rambling on."

"I'm done with what I need to do here, have been for a while. Joan insisted I go home. You - you're important to me, and I'm glad you called. I gave you the number for a reason, because even thought I trust you, you should always have a friend you can count on."

"I know, but I don't want to take advantage of that. Sometimes I think I ask too much of you, and though you're wonderful to let me lean on you occasionally -"

Auggie let out a laugh, "Guess you've never had a best friend before, huh?"

"Well, no, not really. Army brats like me don't get to stay in one place long enough to make them. Danielle has always been there for me, but I can't talk to her about things, not anymore."

"Well, you've got one now, and you can talk to me about anything, at any time," Auggie said, hearing her laugh in reply.

"Thanks. Tell me, do you do this with all the agents you've handled?"

"Only the ones who laugh at my jokes and can say they know who Mingus is," Auggie said.

"Ohh."

Hearing the disappointment in her voice, Auggie said, "What is it?"

"About that, if we're being truly honest with one another here, I - I never went to a Mingus tribute concert in Stockholm."

"Then why did you say you did?" Auggie asked, perplexed.

"I - I was just trying to impress you. I mean, I've heard of the man and have listened to his music, but -"

"But you've never been to a concert."

"No. Do you forgive me?"

Auggie laughed out loud, "Believe me, there's nothing to forgive. I'm kind of flattered, actually."

"Does this mean we can't be best friends anymore?"

Smiling at the sincerity in her question, Auggie teased, "Well, that depends. Will you go to one of his concerts with me sometime?"

"Of course I will. Oh, finally. Jai's back. I guess I'm heading home. Thanks again, Auggie. Will - will I see you when I get back? I mean, I don't know how long it'll take."

"I'll be here."

"See you then."

"Bye, Annie."

Auggie hung up and breathed a sigh of relief. She was okay and on her way home. Gathering up his belongings and sliding his chair under his desk, he headed home.

Chapter 2

"You don't have to be here, Annie. I'm sure no one would mind if you took a couple days off," Jai said, grabbing Annie by the upper arm as she approached the wide glass doorway to the DPD two days later.

Annie pulled her arm out of his grasp and shook her head. She needed to do this, she thought, get back to some semblance of normality, even if it meant being in the one place that caused so much of her heartache. Looking up at Jai, she saw his jaw clenched and his inexpressible dark eyes staring down at her. "And where do you think I should be, Jai? At home, crying into my pillow?" she said emphatically, turning her back on him.

She heard him sigh behind her, but didn't bother to turn around. She pushed open the door and walked in, heading straight for her desk. Feeling a niggle up her spine, she knew eyes were on her, but ignored the gawking looks of others in the room. The sooner she got back in the groove, the better.

She hadn't been joking when she told Auggie over the phone that her tears for Ben stopped after a few hours. All she felt now was a sadness and slight emptiness somewhere in the range of her mid-torso. Perhaps she should talk to some type of therapist about her lack of grief, but for now, she thought, she'd ride it out.

A few hours later, after sitting in silence and working on her computer while others went about their business around her, her phone rang. "Walker."

"Annie, can you meet me in my office, please?" Joan's voice came through the receiver.

"Be right there." Standing, she made her way out of the bullpen, not stopping to answer any of the pointed looks a few agents threw her way. A foreboding feeling came over her, and she straightened, trying to shake it off. Whatever Joan wanted, she resigned herself to her fate.

She knocked on Joan's door.

"Come in, Annie."

Taking a deep breath, Annie walked in. Joan sat at her desk and motioned for her to take a seat.

"First of all, please accept my sympathies on behalf of the department. What happened was - well, was tragic," Joan said.

"Thank you," Annie replied stoically.

"I've read Jai's report and yours. But there is one detail that's missing, one that I hope you'll be able to fill in." Opening up the file, she continued, "Mercer went missing just before he was shot, yet Auggie was able to find him via a GPS tracker. Can you explain to me how that was possible?"

Annie swallowed. She hadn't expected this line of questioning and had been setting herself up to be fired or reassigned. Taking a deep breath, she answered, "Before I left, Auggie gave me a GPS tracker to wear so he could track my movements. I placed it on my shell bracelet. It - well, it was one of a pair of bracelets that Ben and I both had. He bought them for us three years ago, when we first met. That morning, after -"

Hearing her hesitate, Joan said, "Go on, Annie."

"He must have grabbed my bracelet instead of his when he went to meet those men. That's how we found him," Annie said, glossing over the details of how Ben and her bracelet had gotten mixed up.

"You were with two other agents and in constant contact with us. Why would you need your own personal GPS tracker?" Joan asked, coolly.

Annie felt her heart pound as she heard the tone of Joan's voice. She hadn't wanted to get Auggie into any trouble, but she had a feeling that her boss already knew the answers to these questions and wanted to gauge her reaction. "Auggie feels protective of me, he said as much before I left, and even threatened to beg you to pull me off the case. I guess the tracker was his way of keeping me safe."

"I see," Joan said, leaning back in her chair. "I'd normally take action against this type of surreptitious behavior, but given the fact that it resulted in the success of this mission, with one regretful consequence, there's no need."

Standing up, she came around her desk to stand in front of Annie. "I relayed to Jai that you were to take some time off, but I can see now that you've ignored that advice. I can't make you do so, as Mercer wasn't a family member. But I am going to keep you out of the field for the next couple of weeks. And before you say anything," she continued as Annie opened her mouth to protest, "it's my call. You aren't to leave this building while you're working during that time. Understood?"

"Yes, of course," Annie said, standing up. "Is - is there anything else?"

"Not right now," Joan replied. "Return to your desk."

Annie was wrapping up the first day of her two-week imposed exile at her desk. Jai had gone already, as were most of the other agents and support staff. Probably off on missions, she thought sourly, still pouting a bit at Joan's directive. She'd wanted to tell the woman that she needed to work, needed a distraction to get her mind off everything, but knew the plea would have fallen on deaf ears.

Maybe I should have stayed home, she thought. She hadn't wanted to talk to Danielle yet, who was oblivious to her situation, but she could have found something to occupy her other than paperwork, data entry and tedious translations.

Standing, she stretched her arms above her head. Through the windowed walls of Tech Ops, she saw Auggie behind his desk, still working. Her self-induced isolation from others unfortunately included her newly appointed protector and best friend, and she felt a sting of remorse for not talking to him since she'd called him a few days ago. Remembering what Joan had asked her about the GPS tracker, she also felt a bit of guilt for having outted his actions.

She walked over to the office and slid the door open. Not sure what kind of reception she would get, she entered hesitantly. "Hey, Auggie."

"Annie, heard you came in today," he said, sitting back in his chair and pulling his headphones off. "Surprised you didn't want to take a few days off."

Flinching at the slightly hurt tone in his voice, Annie took a deep breath and walked over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I thought it best if I stay busy, keep my mind off things. Listen, Auggie, I'm sorry I haven't called. I just - well, I guess you could say I haven't been feeling much like talking to anyone."

Auggie raised his hand and placed it on hers as it rested on his shoulder. "Understandable. Your - you've been through a lot. Just needed to know you were okay."

"I am, though with Joan's dictate that I stay in-house for two weeks, I may crack under the tedium," she said, leaning against his desk. "And there's something else you should know. Remember how you found Ben, through my GPS tracker?"

"Yeah."

"Joan asked me about it today, wondering why I thought you felt the need to keep a closer eye on me than was called for in the mission. I didn't want to - well, actually, I couldn't lie to her. She's too good at catching me being anything less than truthful to her," Annie said, a small laugh bubbling up.

"Annie, don't -"

"No, listen," Annie said, interrupting, "I'm afraid I may have gotten you in trouble, and that's the last thing I want. I explained to her that I had fastened the tracker on my bracelet, and that Ben must have switched his with mine that morning, and that's how you were able to trace me. Has - has she talked to you about this? You're not in any trouble, are you?"

"That's what I'm trying to tell you," he said. "Joan's already given me the speech, and you have nothing to worry about. I'm not in trouble. Unless, of course, you told her about the number, too?"

"No, no, of course not. I wasn't even going to talk about the tracker, until she called me into her office this morning." Annie took a deep breath and looked down at her hands, "I wanted to thank you, again, for listening to me the other day. Truly, if I hadn't had someone to talk to at that moment, I really think I would have walked away, right then and there."

Reaching out his left hand, Auggie felt for and clasped Annie's arm. "I'm glad you didn't. You would have left a big hole in this department if you'd left."

"Thanks for saying that, but sometimes I think I'm more of a nuisance to Joan. And now that Ben's gone, so is their reason for recruiting me in the first place, huh?"

Auggie heard the sadness in her voice and realized the disinterested and brave front she'd been putting up for the past few days was just that, a front. "You know that's not true, Annie. It may have been at first, but you've proven yourself to be a competent and highly effective agent. And besides, if they tried it, I would have put up a hell of a fight for you."

Annie laughed, and placed her hand over his on her arm. "That's what best friends are for, right?"

"Oh, absolutely," Auggie replied. "And by the way, I believe you owe me something."

"Don't tell me," she said, enjoying the ease of the return of their familiar banter. "That number was collect, and I owe you one hell of a phone bill."

"No, of course not," Auggie said, smiling. She may be hurting, but a bit of the old Annie was still in there. "But it does have to do with the phone number."

"Oh, yes, now I remember," Annie said. returning his smile. "I believe I owe you a sandwich. Care to cash in now?"

Chapter 3

Auggie was aware of a couple of things as he and Annie walked out to her car. One, her scent was missing. Every day since he'd met her, all those months ago, she wore that one perfume, the one called Jo Malone Grapefruit. She never wore too much, but still, he always knew when she was close by when the citrus scent met his nose. Every day, except today.

The other thing he was aware of was the tighter-than-normal grip she had on his upper arm, fingers kneading into his bicep, as if she were drawing strength from him. He fought a strong urge to wrap his arms around her and absorb some of the hurt. He knew she was a strong person, but now he could tell she was in pain and just needed someone to be there for her.

She hadn't said a word since they left, and as he got into her car, and she drove off, he decided to let the silence last for a bit longer. He'd never known her to be like this before, and his mind spun, wondering what to do.

Should he wait until she wanted to talk? Hold her hand for hours while she listened to old-time love songs? Take her by the shoulders and tell her to snap out of it? Let her talk for hours as she went on and on about how she couldn't believe Ben played her? Pull her into his arms while the tears poured out onto his shoulder?

Clenching his fingers into his palm, he forced himself to take a deep breath. You're overthinking the situation, he thought to himself. What she needed was for things to be normal, and for her, normal meant - this, going out for drinks or dinner after work. But the playful banter would be gone for a while. He knew from Stu that she hadn't talked to Jai since she'd returned. And the way Stu described their arrival - with Jai grabbing her arm, and she walking away from him - made him think that they'd be alone in their journeys to the bar for the foreseeable future.

And that is fine with me, he thought. The man had done his job well getting them out of the country in a blaze of gunfire, but Auggie still hadn't appreciated his decision to sequester Annie away, alone, for hours while he did so. His need to play hero was put above needing to take care of his team member, and if he didn't like him before, Auggie knew his distaste for the man was set in stone now.

His reverie was interrupted by Annie's quiet voice. "Auggie? Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, what is it?" he said, grateful that she'd started talking again.

"Did you break up with Liza?"

"What?" Auggie asked.

"Last week, before we left, when we were at the bar, I saw you talking with Liza. You said you didn't want to talk about it then, but I saw the look on her face as she walked away."

Well, Auggie thought, at least she's talking, though he didn't like her choice of topic. "It's not important, Annie. Nothing you need to worry about."

He heard her huff in annoyance.

"I'm not worried, it's just - you seemed a bit upset, and I wanted to know what happened. If you don't want to talk about it, you don't have to."

"It's not that I don't want to talk about it," Auggie said, turning to look in her direction. "You've got enough to worry about, to think about."

"But that's just it, don't you see? I'm not worried, and I'm tired of thinking, tired of thinking about what went wrong, what else I could have done, and most of all, I'm tired of everyone tiptoeing around me, like if they say the wrong thing, I'll break into a million pieces!"

Her last statement was punctuated by her hand hitting the steering wheel in frustration, and realization dawned on Auggie. He'd been one of those people tiptoeing around her, when what she needed most was for him to let her forget, let her heal in her own time.

"I'm - I'm sorry, Auggie. That wasn't fair. I know you're just trying to help."

"It's okay, and I'm sorry, too. I just - you were so broken up on the phone when you called me -"

"Can - can we just not talk about it now, please?"

The soft request melted his resolve, and he smiled. "Of course. So," he said, straightening in his seat. "You want to know what happened with Liza."

"Yeah, she didn't look too happy. In fact, she looked really pissed off."

"Guess you wouldn't believe me if I said I couldn't talk about it?"

"You guess right, mister, but it'll have to wait. We're here."

Auggie heard the car slow down and turn off the road. "And where is here? I'll have you know that creating that encrypted phone number was highly technical. I request payment in kind."

"Well, my cooking skills aren't much, but I do make a hell of a grilled cheese."

"Wait, what are you talking about?"

"I don't really want to be around many people, so I thought we could have dinner here. At my place."

"You brought me to your house?" Auggie asked, confused.

"Yes, and I can see from your face that you're totally weirded out."

"No, no, of course not. It's fine," Auggie said, unclipping his seat belt. "You do realize what'll happen if Jai finds out you took me home."

"Right now, I couldn't give a rat's ass what Jai thinks," he heard her say right before her car door slammed shut.

Good move, Anderson, he thought to himself. Mentally, he checked off things not to bring up in front of Annie, Jai being the last name on the list. His car door opened, and swinging his legs out, he stood up, almost colliding with Annie. "Oh, sorry."

"Thanks, Auggie."

"For what?" he said, feeling her hand coming to rest on his shoulder.

"I - I don't know. Just, thanks."

Auggie smiled, and reaching out, wrapped his arm around her shoulders, bringing her close to him. He felt her relax against him and wrap her arms around his waist, laying her head on his shoulder.

"You know what they say about best friendship, don't you?" he asked.

"No, what?"

"Being best friends means you never have to say thank you. Now," he said, releasing her, "I believe you have a debt to repay."

"And you have a story to tell."

"Quid pro quo, I like that," he said, taking her arm as she led them up to the door.

Chapter 4

Clutching Auggie's elbow, Annie felt a bit of the tension that had taken residence between her shoulder blades ease. Being home helped. And, if she was being honest with herself, not being alone also helped.

They'd made it up the walk, and Annie said, "One step up onto the porch." She let go of him to fit the key into the lock and swung open the door. Feeling his hand on her her shoulder, she stepped in, Auggie following behind. He bumped into her as she came to a sudden stop a few feet in.

"Annie? Something wrong?"

"Umm -" Annie said, frowning as she looked around. Her living space, normally clean and tidy, was strewn with books, clothes, and other items. She'd forgotten the fact that, since she'd come back from Sri Lanka, straightening up hadn't been at the top of her list. "Oh, no."

She felt Auggie's hand tighten around her shoulder. "What is it?" he asked, voice tinged concern.

"It's a bit of a mess," she said, placing her hand on top of his. She heard him let out a small laugh.

"It can't be that bad. You can show me around another time."

"Can you stand here for just one second?" she asked. "Just let me pick up stuff from the floor so you don't trip."

Leaving him standing there, Annie kicked off her heels, and placing them in her arms, added several more items as she worked her way to the couch. She swept the papers and a few books into a pile and set them on a table, and taking her armload into the bedroom, deposited the items on her bed.

Satisfied that the place was somewhat more livable, she walked back into the living room. Auggie tilted his head in her direction, "If you want, just point me to the couch, and I'll be fine."

Seeing the smile on his face, Annie knew she was overreacting a bit. "Sure," she said, walking over to him and taking his hand. His strong, warm fingers wrapped around hers, and for a moment, she relished that strength, slightly squeezing her palm into his. She started to walk backwards, and he followed, until they reached her couch. He reached out his other hand and felt for the corner, and sat down on the end.

"Let me get you something to drink. I haven't really been in the mood for anything alcoholic, but if you want -"

Annie's voice faltered, and she felt Auggie's hand squeeze hers. "I'll have whatever you're having," he said.

Returning his squeeze before releasing his hand, Annie walked over to her small kitchen and pulled two bottles of water out of the fridge. She handed him his and said, "I'm going to change out of this suit first, if you don't mind waiting a minute?"

"I'll be here," he said, leaning back.

Returning to the living room five minutes later, Annie noticed that Auggie had removed his vest and tie, his white shirt opened at the collar now, and sleeves rolled up. He had also kicked off his shoes, and he seemed very comfortable, head resting against the back of the couch and feet crossed at the ankles.

Her soft yoga pants and oversized t-shirt had nothing on relaxation, she thought, leaning against the doorway and allowing herself to watch him. His strong, confident presence unloosened another small knot between her shoulder blades.

"So, are you ready for the Anne Walker special?" she asked, walking through the living room. She skirted the kitchen island and started taking a few items out of the fridge.

"You mentioned something about a grilled cheese," Auggie said, sitting up and placing his elbows on his knees. "I'll have you know I'm a bit of a connossieur on the subject of sandwiches. What exactly connotes an Anne Walker special?"

"You, sir," Annie said, "are about to be amazed."

Auggie laughed and relaxed a bit, hearing the teasing lilt in her voice. "I'll believe that in about five minutes."

"The Anne Walker special," she continued, as she prepared the food, "is known far and wide as the end-all, be-all of comfort foods. Thinly sliced ham, sharp cheddar cheese, all toasted perfectly between two slices of thick bread."

"Comfort food, huh? I've always been an ice cream man, myself," he joked back. "Mint chocolate chip, to be more precise. I've been known to knock back a quart or two when the time called for it."

Annie scoffed. "You don't believe me?" he asked.

"No, I have a hard time believing a man with a body like yours has ever had ice cream pass his lips in his lifetime."

Feeling a bit of a flush creep up his neck at the compliment, Auggie said, "It's true."

"Uh-huh," Annie said disbelievingly, as she transferred the sandwiches to two plates. She walked over and handed him the plate and then settled on the other end of the couch. "Sorry, I don't have a table. Place has always been too small for one. And I usually eat at Danielle's or just pick up food on the way home."

"Except for when you're in need of a mean grilled sandwich?" he asks, lifting his off the plate and taking a bite.

"Yeah," she replied, "Except then."

Taking a bite of her sandwich, Annie leaned back against the couch. "So, my end of the bargain has been taken care of."

"Huh?" Auggie asked between bites.

"Quid pro quo."

"Ahh," Auggie said, taking a drink from the bottled water and setting both it and the plate on the table in front of him. "You should know that I wasn't kidding when I said I couldn't tell you. Arthur swore me to silence, so you have to promise me you'll keep this to yourself."

Annie leaned forward and hooked her smallest finger around his. "Pinky swear," she said with as much formality as she could muster. She was rewarded with one of his brilliant smiles, and the sight loosened another tension knot.

"All right," Auggie began. "The short version is this. Somehow, Arthur got a picture of me and Liza together. I flat out told him I wasn't the leak, but he was more angry when I told him I was running an op on her. He had a right to be. As he said, he's the head of all clandestine operations, and if it had gone wrong, he'd be in serious trouble. And I couldn't think of anything to say to defend myself. Instead of firing me, which was in his right, he said he wanted to use the relationship we had to ferret out the leak. He gave me information that he said only a handful of people knew about, and if she took the bait and ran to her contact and found out it was bogus, the list of potential traitors grew shorter."

Taking a deep breath, he took a drink of water again and continued, "Even though Liza knew I wouldn't give her any information, I led her to believe I'd changed my mind and fed her the story. That night, when you saw us in the bar, she'd told me she found out the information was bogus, and she thought I'd played her for a fool. I insisted I didn't, playing dumb, but she still thought I'd played her. I forwarded the information to Arthur, and that's the last I heard about it. He wouldn't let me in any further, saying his 'soldier boy' had done good work. Liza, however, was less forgiving, and the next day, she returned all my stuff to me."

"So she never found out you were playing her all along?" Annie asked.

"No, I don't believe she did," Auggie said, grabbing the rest of his sandwich.

"And I know you were disappointed in my actions, but I just did it as part of the job. You know that, don't you?"

"Of course, I do," Annie said quietly. "And I'm sorry for what I said when I found out. You're not reckless at all. In fact, I think what you did took real courage."

Auggie smiled at her again, and leaned back against the couch. "You know, when I think about it now, I'm glad it's over. Keeping secrets like that wears on you."

Annie finished the rest of her sandwich and collected their plates, putting them in the sink. She rubbed her hands over her arms, as the cooling night air chilled her. Usually on nights like this, she'd crawl into bed and wrap herself in her down comforter and read a book.

"I'm a bit chilly. Would you mind if I turned on the fireplace?"

"You've got a fireplace in here?" Auggie asked, incredulously.

"Just a gas-powered one for heat," she said, walking over to the wall in front of the couch and pressing a button. "It's only gas-powered, but the flames are soothing to watch and listen to."

"Wonder if I could talk my landlord into installing one?" Auggie said, laughing and stretching his sock-covered feet towards the emanating warmth.

Annie returned to the couch and sat on the end, laying her head down on the center cushion and tucking her legs under her. The warmth of the fireplace was soothing, and the slight crackling sound, though it was fake, provided a bit of comfort. She felt the last of the tension leave her shoulders, and she let out a soft sigh.

Hearing the softness of her exclamation, Auggie leaned back against the soft cushion. He knew it would still be a while before the sadness entirely left Annie, but he could tell that she had relaxed as she lay back down on the couch.

They had been like that for several minutes, relishing the warming room and the crackling of the fireplace. He had closed his eyes, enjoying the silence, when he heard her ask hesitantly, "Auggie? Do you miss Natasha?"

The question came so far out of left field, he was left stunned for a moment.

"Where - where did this come from?"

"By what you told me of your time on the train, Natasha said she loved you, but then she left, jumped out and left you standing there. I know you still had feelings for her. Do you miss her?"

Her words were softly spoken, and Auggie wasn't sure how to answer. Of course, he missed her, he thought, but why was Annie asking him about Natasha now, of all times to do so? Then he suddenly realized the parallel of their situations, just as Annie, he was sure, had, as well. They'd both been stranded by people they'd loved.

He swallowed against the hard lump in his throat at the thought, knowing that Annie now was going through the same anguish he'd had when Natasha had disappeared into the night. Granted, the torture she was going through was nothing compared to the heartbreak he experienced.

Taking a deep breath, he answered, "Yes. And though for a very long minute, I was ready to follow her to the ends of the earth, I know she's gone. I do miss her. I loved her."

She didn't respond, and Auggie wasn't sure what else to tell her. He knew from the weeks after his own abandonment, there wasn't really anything anyone else could say to ease the pain. Just working through it day by day allowed it to lessen.

He felt the couch shaking a bit, and to his ears came a muffled sob. He reached out his hand to her, and finding her shoulder, gave her a light squeeze. He felt her hand on his, and she pulled it down, clasping it with both of hers against her chest as she cried. Leaning over, he laid his other hand on her hair, softly stroking the tresses as the sobs became louder. He felt her tears fall against his hand on her chest as the dam broke.

It had been building up all day, he thought. He hadn't been sure how deep the well of her grief extended, but as her body shook with the release of three years of anger, pain and lost love, he knew what she needed now was time. Its unerring constancy allowed the most painful of broken hearts to be filled again.

Chapter 5

Time. Auggie'd whispered it into her hair while he held her, as he soothed her with those beautiful words.

Even now, two months later, she remembered it. From that initial night, when he'd dried her tears and put her to bed, tucking her in and placing a kiss on her forehead before letting himself out.

Through the two weeks of her Joan-imposed exile at her desk where he'd brought her coffee and made her laugh, making sure she didn't slide back into the depression that had threatened to engulf her.

Into her first field op after, where, when her nerves had almost gotten the best of her, his voice in her ear gave her the confidence to finish the job and return home safely.

And then a week later, when she shyly asked him to go to a Mingus concert and saw that beautiful smile when he said yes. She'd said it was to make up for her fib the first day they'd met, but a little voice inside her knew it was more than that.

The little voice first made its presence known a few weeks earlier, when Auggie had handed her that business card with his phone number on it. A whisper, so much so that she wasn't sure she heard it in her mind, said she could fall for this guy, but it got pushed aside with the warring emotions that came with Ben's arrival and sudden, tragic departure.

The voice remained silent through those days, but as he held her when the dam broke, as he whispered that one word, "time," the voice spoke again. She'd tried to quell it as part of the emotional war going on inside her, but when the war ended, when life, as it always did, went on, it came back.

She'd started to listen to it, and when she'd read about the concert, she knew he'd love going, and asked him to go. They'd had a wonderful time, and for the first time since Ben's death, she felt happiness again.

That feeling continued as they started to hang out, attending happy hours after long days of work and talking on the phone over the weekends. They were closer than they'd been in the past, with Auggie taking his self-appointed best friend position very seriously.

And now, two months after that night, they sat on a bench in the park. Instead of the usual trek down to Allen's after work, Auggie had asked if she minded taking a walk in the park, pointing out that it would soon be too cold to do so. They walked quietly, his hand at her elbow, through the crunching leaves. After a while, Annie pointed out an empty wooden bench, and they sat down. She began telling him what she saw all around them. The autumn leaves blazed red, gold and orange, and Annie sat there beside him, detailing every nuance of color to him.

She leaned back against the bench and closed her eyes, inhaling deeply the rich, cool air. It sent a shiver down her spine, and she relaxed into it. Her deep sigh reached Auggie's ears, and he smiled. He'd never take that happy sound for granted again, knowing how much she had gone through, and how much effort it had taken her to come out of her grief.

Reaching his hand over to her, he caught hers, intertwining her fingers with his. Her fingerstips were cool, and he covered them with his other hand, rubbing them gently.

The little voice inside Annie's head spoke up again at this caress. Always with the same insistent line, but this time, it was a little louder. "I could really fall for this guy." And now, as she thought about it, nothing else was there to quell it. No warring emotions, no one else standing in their way. They'd both made it through heartbreaking relationships and come out the other side. She was there for him when Natasha had left him, and he was there for her when Ben - well, when she'd come home alone.

And now, as she looked over at him, his wavy hair blowing in the breeze, his cheeks slightly reddened from the cool air, and down to his hands, as they rubbed heat back into her fingertips, she knew. It wasn't that she could fall for him. She already had. And the sudden knowledge of that fact made her catch her breath, and a fullness ached inside her chest.

Turning towards him, she reached up with her free hand and placed it on his cheek, turning his head towards her.

"Annie?"

"I just wanted to thank you, Auggie. Thanks for being there for me," she said, not removing her hand, but allowing herself a slight caress of his skin.

He smiled and said, "No need, remember? Being best friends means never having to say thank you." He released her hand and reached for the one on his cheek, bringing it down and placing a soft kiss against her knuckles.

"Best friends? Is that all this is?" Annie asked, so soft that it barely reached Auggie's ears. But he did hear it, and his chest thumped suddenly at her meaning. He'd wanted Annie for a long time, but knew it would never be real and genuine as long as the shadows of their previous loves still hung over them. And now, that whisper - that whisper told him his wait had, perhaps, come to an end.

Not sure if his throat would work properly if he tried to answer, he shook his head, the motion allowing him to kiss the back of her hand again. He swallowed against the lump in his throat, "No, it's not all. I just wanted -" But the words wouldn't come. He turned towards her and releasing her hand, cautiously reached out his own, his heart beating furiously against his chest. When he felt her hand on his, guiding his fingers to her face, he knew his wait had come to an end.

As his fingers touched her face, Annie closed her eyes at the gentle caress. Then, sensing his nearness, she opened them again to see his face inches away from hers, his eyes closed. He'd stopped, asking once more silently if this was real, and she nodded, the motion relayed to his fingers in a quiet answer.

And the space between them vanished as he leaned down and brushed his lips against hers, feeling the softness against his own lips and the coolness of her skin. He felt her hand leave his, and both of her arms snaked around his neck, pulling them closer. The long wait and days of longing for this moment made the kiss more insistent, as he angled his head, fitting his mouth firmly against hers. They fit together so perfectly, he thought. It was almost as if she was made for him, and as she responded, running her fingers through his hair and returning his kiss with her own, her mouth opened,and he felt her tongue against his lips, begging for more. He seceded to her insistence, and groaned as the kiss deepened, running his own tongue across the inside of her lips before tasting her.

The persistent need for air broke them apart, and as they sat there, foreheads resting against one another, her arms still around his neck, and his cradling her face, Auggie smiled, then laughed. "That was definitely beyond the best friendship zone."

"Oh, yeah," Annie said, laughing along with him. "What's the saying for being my boyfriend?"

"Boyfriend status means never having to ask permission to do this," he said, angling his head down towards hers once more.

THE END


	12. Late Night and coffee pilfering

My first ever Covert Affairs story. Aack!

Auggie was working late, again. Even though his line of work called for late nights and weekends, there were days like this when all he wanted was his bed.

Had it been a live op, his tired body and mind would run on the thrill of the chase and adrenaline would keep him from nodding off, like he was about to do right now. It was Friday, and yeah, the work could have waited, but he wanted to get it done before the weekend.

"Damn it," he muttered, pulling off the headphones. No use in fighting it. The amount of intel needing to be processed would require caffeine, at least several cups of it. The Starbucks was closed, and he hoped his stash of Colombian Brew was still in the kitchen. Grabbing his laser guide out of his pocket and his empty mug off the desk, he made his way down the hall, footsteps echoing in the quiet building. Pushing open the metal doors, the familiar smell of the place greeted him, punctuated by one rather strong one. Colombian Brew.

Had not another subtle smell accompanied it, he would be loudly protesting the pilfering of his coffee. "Annie?"

A startled feminine screech and the breaking of ceramicware echoed through the kitchen. "Auggie! Geez, you scared me." Annie ran to the sink to run cold water over her reddened hand.

"Sorry, I didn't know anyone else was working late but me. Did you burn yourself?" Auggie walked over to the sink and stood beside her. Catching her arm, he slid his fingers down to her hands.

"Yeah, it just splashed up on me when I dropped the mug." Annie didn't know what was more soothing, the cold water Auggie's smooth fingers gliding over the back of her hand. "Thanks, but it's not too bad. Just a little red."

Auggie felt the heat of the burn on her skin and held it more directly under the cold water. "While this is cooling off, you have some explaining to do."

"A-about what?" Annie tried to maintain control, but the hitch in her breath made it obvious that Auggie's ministrations were having more than a first aid effect. Swallowing hard, she continued, "I'm working late 'cause Joan asked if I could finish up -"

"No, that's not it," Auggie interrupted, turning off the water, and feeling for the paper towels. He grabbed one and set about gently wiping at the reddened flesh. "The Colombian Brew is mine. I had it stashed in a back cupboard for emergencies. Stealing is a crime, ya know."

Gently pulling her hand out of his grasp, Annie finished drying it and turned back to the mess she had made. Thankfully, most of it hit the counter and sink. "It's not a crime if there's no name on it, isn't that the rule of shared kitchens?"

She began picking up the pieces of the shattered mug and tossing them in the garbage can. Grabbing a wad of paper towels, she wiped off the counter. "There's still some more left. Let me get you some."

Auggie walked up behind her and set his cup on the counter. "I take it black, if you don't mind."

He knew his proximity was much closer than was warranted, but the late hour and being alone with her for the first time since she started working piqued his flirtatious side. While she poured the coffee, he settled his hand on her shoulder, and let his fingers play with the soft curls he found there. Conrad had mentioned she was a blonde.

An impish smile played at the corner of his mouth as he let the curl wrap around his finger. "You know, I can tell how guys talk to you that you're beautiful, but they've never mentioned your exact coloring."

Annie was glad Auggie couldn't see the slight tremble in her fingers as she gripped the coffee pot. Not wanting to make another mess, she didn't respond until she had the coffee poured and the pot back on its warming plate.

She kept her voice even, not sure how to respond to this flirty side of Auggie. She had seen it come out to others, but he's always been just friendly and compassionate with her. "My hair is blonde/light brown, and my eyes are brown with a bit of hazel when the light is right."

Auggie smiled and let his hand slide down her arm. She wasn't wearing her blazer now, just a sleeveless shirt. He knew how smooth her skin was from their fight training, and he allowed himself a caress around her elbow before he let go.

Annie felt a shiver go down her spine at the light touch. She looked up into his eyes and saw a smile playing around his mouth. She was quite the flirt when an op called for it, but ever since Ben, well, she just hadn't wanted to open herself up again. But this, after all, was Auggie, one of her best friends who, since they met, only offered friendship, laughs, and a shoulder to cry on. Reaching out, she grasped the hand that had just slid down her arm.

Auggie felt her fingers on his and reached with his other to her bare shoulder. They were facing each other now, and had there been music playing, he believes they could have looked like they were readying themselves to slow dance. But he heard no music, and the stark CIA kitchen didn't avail itself to dancing. He did, however, hear her.

Annie's breath slowed when he had walked up to her, and through her hand, he felt a slightly quickened pulse. His exhaustion-induced flirtation seemed to fade away. A deeper feeling took over, the urge to pull her close and find out if her lips were as soft as the rest of her. Would she let him try?

"You said, uhh, something about working late?" Auggie asked lightly, his voice almost a whisper. His hand traveled from her shoulder to elbow in a slow, deliberate move.

"Just some translations Joan wanted. How about you?" Annie looked down at their hands, clasped lightly, fingers moving of their own accord around the other's.

"Processing intel from the last case. I, uhh, felt a bit sleepy, so I came in for some coffee."

The light touch of her fingers as they caressed the palm of his hand, his wrist, and down his forearm and back again caused Auggie's breath to catch in his throat.

"Annie," he whispered, sliding his right hand up her arm and across her shoulder to her throat and jaw, letting his thumb glide along her smooth skin until he found her lips. All thoughts of workplace propriety fled as he lowered his head to hers, brushing the softest of kisses against her lips. He thought he heard her whisper his name back, thought he felt her lips move under hers. Then all thought vanished as she kissed him back with such passion that he stumbled back against the counter. He steadied himself and wrapped one arm around her waist and the other in her hair, matching her kiss for kiss.

Pushing herself up on her toes, Annie wrapped her arms around Auggie's neck, burying her hands in his hair. She pressed her body up against his and felt a shiver go through him. His flirtatious moves had started this, but they both had stepped into something altogether different.

Dragging his lips from hers, more from a need for air than want, he pressed soft kisses against her jaw and buried his face in her neck, drinking in her distinctive perfume and slowly lowering her back down. He struggled to regain his breath and settled for holding onto her while his pulse slowed. "That - that was unexpected," he murmured against her shoulder. Lifting his head, he pressed a kiss against her forehead. Smiling down at her, he chuckled, "Don't think I need the coffee now."

"Me, either," Annie replied, taking a step back. She reached up to smooth down his hair.

"What do you say we leave the paperwork for Monday?" Auggie asked.

"Did you have something in mind?"

"A midnight concert that I had planned on attending."

Threading her arm through his, Annie said, "And then a drink?"

Auggie laughed as they made their way out of the kitchen, the mugs of Colombian Brew forgotten on the counter.

Chapter 2

Auggie couldn't believe what was happening, but as he shut down his computer and stowed his headphones away, he thought back on the last few minutes. He'd been

an agent for the CIA for years, fought an IRA assassin in hand-to-hand combat when his only weapon had been a chair leg, and fought in wars a continent away. But for once in his life, he wasn't sure what was going on.

Annie and he had only known each other for a few months, but the camaraderie came easy. The trust was fought for and won on numerous occasions. Her ingenuity and bravery in the field had won her the respect of even the most hardened of their fellow agents. Their friendship came hard and fast, but now - "Yeah, hotshot, what about now?" he thought.

You've read her file, obtained surreptitiously, of course, and knew of her history with a man named Ben. You knew she hadn't gotten close to any other man since. So why now? Why start flirting?

With a harsh laugh, he knew the answer. She had laughed off his flirtations with other women in the past; it had become something of a game with them. But tonight, when she had grasped his hand and caressed it, it felt like the touch of a lover. He had deigned to kiss her, and she responded with such a passion, it nearly knocked him off his feet.

Slipping his jacket on, he grabbed his bag and walked out of the tech center, a smile on his face as he relived those few minutes of heaven.

Annie couldn't believe what was happening, but as she stacked the files into as neat a pile as possible and wrote a quick note on top for Joan, she could feel her heart pounding. The imprint of Auggie's kiss still lingered on her lips, and she couldn't believe it, but she suddenly began to feel as nervous as a 17-year-old on a prom date.

Auggie was very close to being her best friend, but tonight, over a scalded hand and accusations of pilfered coffee, something changed. Maybe it was the long work week, long hours, and the sometimes frustrating job he had. He had never turned that flirty charm on her, and though she never even thought of him in a romantic way, it felt right. Her body responded of its own accord. Her breath nearly stopped, her heart started to pound, and she started to caress his hand. When his lips had touched hers, something snapped inside her, and she nearly knocked the both of them over with her response.

This could work, she thought. Why not? The best relationships grow out of friendship, they say.

Picking up the phone, she quickly dialed Danielle's number, not wanting her overprotective sister to start a manhunt when she didn't come home after a late night of working. "Danielle? Yeah, I know it's late. Look, I'm not gonna be home tonight. I'm spending some time with a sick friend," she said, trying to sound as vague as possible.

"Annie! Oh, my god, you got lucky, didn't you? Don't try to deny it, I can hear it in the tone of your voice. I'm so happy for you," Danielle gushed on, not letting Annie get in a word edgewise. "You have fun now, and don't worry, I know you had a tough time with your last boyfriend, even though you never talk about him. But since you haven't dated since you came back to DC, I know he must have broken your heart. So it's about time you jumped back into the dating pool with the rest of us. Have fun!"

Danielle hung up before Annie could say another word.

Ben. She hadn't thought about him for a whole week now, she realized, and suddenly felt her eyes stinging. No, God, not now, she begged of herself. He wasn't coming back, she did not see him in the subway station, and she had to move on. Repeating the familiar mantra to herself several times, she hung up the phone and grabbed her coat and purse.

She turned at the sound of the door opening behind her. Auggie. He was smiling and held his hand out to her, like a lifeline.

"Annie? You ready to go? Jazz music waits for no one."

"Yeah, yes, of course."

Auggie felt her hand grasp his and heard the hitch in her voice. Was she having second thoughts already? "You okay? Listen, if you'd rather finish up here..."

"No, of course not," Annie replied, giving his fingers an extra squeeze.

They walked to the elevators in silence. Auggie was wondering what had happened in the three minutes they were apart. He decided to let it play out, knowing that Annie didn't do what she didn't want to do, and also she was grasping his hand like it were a lifeline.

He decided to lighten the mood a little. "The festival is just a little jazz in the park on summer weekends. The Mingus Orchestra doesn't make its way down to DC very often."

"Sounds wonderful," Annie replied. "Have you ever been to the Washington Square in New York to see them?"

"A couple times, back before I lost my sight. Long distance travel doesn't come all that easy anymore."

"Oh, I'd be glad to take you," Annie said, startled at her own invitation. "I mean, if we ever get that much time off together, with all the work coming in. New York City isn't that far from here, but it is a road trip."

"Thanks, I'd like that. You're one of the few who know about the jazz legend, and would be willing to put up with me for a road trip."

Auggie smiled and gave a little laugh. Annie might be the picture of togetherness and confidence when she put on her agent face, but she was cute when she got flustered.

The elevator doors opened on the garage floor, and Annie lead the way to her car. A sudden thought came to her.

"Auggie?"

"Yeah, I call shotgun."

Annie laughed, "I was just wondering, how do you get home if you work late?"

"Well, I don't live far, and the agency has an account with a cab company to ferry me, so to speak."

Auggie made his way to the passenger door and opened it, sliding in. He heard Annie slide in and the click of the seatbelt. "Rosewood Park, driver, and don't spare the horses."

"You wish," Annie giggled, and put the car in drive, heading out into the night.

The soulful sound wafted through the trees, mixing with the crickets. Annie sat cross-legged on the blanket Auggie had spread for them. She looked over at him, and smiled. He lay on his stomach on the blanket, eyes closed, fingers orchestrating the music. She always thought him cute, ever since he introduced himself to her on her first day, but now with the low light, the music, the memory of that unexpected kiss, she thought he was, well, beautiful.

Auggie tried to enjoy the music, but his skin tingled at the gaze riveted on him by the woman to his left. Annie had been staring at him for the last four minutes, he surmised, and he was having a difficult time keeping himself from pulling her down on the blanket beside him. He knew they had company, though, by the low murmur of voices around them, and PDA had never been his favorite activity.

He let her perusal continue through the end of the song, and by the sound of the scattered applause, knew the performance was over.

"Too bad it's over, I could have listened to that all night," he said, standing up and reaching out for her hand.

Annie grasped his hand and let herself be pulled up, stumbling a bit as her right foot had fallen asleep beneath her.

Auggie reached out his other arm, holding her around the waist. "Not falling asleep on me, are you?"

"Not me, just my foot," Annie said, shaking the pins and needles out.

Feeling her against him for the second time in one night, Auggie felt a sense of deja vu. His hand slid up her arm and lightly cradled her cheek. He leaned down and, whispered against her lips, "I'm not much for PDA, but I don't want to let go of you yet. I'm not asking for anything more than you're willing to give, but my apartment is only a couple of blocks from here."

Annie didn't, couldn't respond right away. She didn't trust her voice, so she nodded, inadvertently brushing her lips against his in the most innocent of kisses.

Auggie groaned at the sensation and stepped back, bending down to snatch up the blanket.

Chapter 3

Auggie felt his hands shake a little as he fitted his key inside the door lock. Whether it was from anticipation or nervousness, he had yet to figure out. Annie's grip tightened on his upper arm as he swung the door open. Turning to his left, he dropped the keys into a wooden bowl. "Welcome to my home, Annie Walker."

With practiced steps, he walked over to the media center and pushed a few buttons. Soon, the sounds of Mingus filled the room. Sliding off his jacket, he folded it over his desk chair, he realized Annie hadn't followed him and was still standing by the door.

"Annie?"

"I'm here, but -" Annie hesitated.

Auggie hesitated. Had he pushed too far, too soon? "You don't have to stay, if -"

"No, I want to be here, with you," Annie tried walking a few steps toward his voice but stumbled against the table he had placed the keys in. "Ow. It's too dark. Is there a lamp?"

Annie heard a click, and soft light filled the room. Auggie was standing next to a floor lamp, the impish grin he laid on her in the CIA kitchen on his handsome face. "Sorry, I don't get many visitors. How's your shin?"

"Throbbing nicely, thank you. If we're going to continue this, I may need to increase my health insurance." Auggie laughed as Annie looked around at the sparsely decorated, yet masculine and warm living room. A computer that rivaled his CIA workstation filled a desk, a flatscreen TV hung on the wall, and a large leather sofa took up most of the space. She could see a hallway, but the lamp's light didn't penetrate that far.

Auggie measured the time she was suddenly quiet. "So what do you think? It's not much in the way of furniture, but too many hard objects in the way make navigating rather difficult."

"I like it. It's not as I imagined, though."

"You imagined what my apartment would look like on the inside?"

"No, I mean, yes, didn't you -"

Auggie chuckled at her flustered response, "How about a drink?"

Without waiting for her to answer, Auggie walked out of the room and down the hallway. "Make yourself comfortable, I'll be back in a minute."

Annie walked over to the couch and sat down, removing her jacket and shoes and tucking her feet up under her. The memory of the past few hours played over in her mind. Auggie's friendship came easily, and the sudden slide into romance seemed to be just as effortless.

He was nothing like Ben, she thought suddenly. Their meeting and whirlwind relationship came suddenly and with so much intensity and passion, it rivaled skydiving or cliff jumping. And it ended just as quickly, with a scribbled note and empty pillow.

Repeating her mantra to herself, she shook her head. Reaching up, she pulled the pins out of her hair and let the blonde curls fall down onto her shoulders. She fluffed it out and stretched. What was taking him so long? "Auggie? Whatever you have is fine."

Standing in the kitchen, Auggie heard Annie's voice come down the hall. He had been trying to find a second shot glass. Grabbing the bottle off the counter, he grabbed his single shot glass and made his way back down the hall. "Sorry it took so long. I couldn't find a second shot glass. Ever have Patron?"

Annie laughed and reached out for the bottle. "So, a bottle at work, and one at home? Wouldn't happen to have any salt and lime, would you?"

"Now, Annie," Auggie said, laughing. He set down the shot glass and joined her on the couch. With fake indignance, he asked, "Are you suggesting body shots?" By the sudden intake of breath he heard, Auggie realized he had shocked her. Taking the bottle out of her hand, he poured the clear liquid into the shot glass and handed it to her. "Ladies first," he whispered.

Annie was still reeling from his joking remark about body shots. He may have been just kidding, but the image of him licking salt off her body and enjoying the following tart taste of lime made her heart suddenly jump in her chest. With slightly shaking fingers, she took the small glass from him and brought it to her lips. The liquid fire seared her throat as it slid down, and soon she felt its warmth diffuse through her body. "Wow, that's really good, Auggie."

Auggie took the glass from her and poured himself a shot, tossing it back with relative ease. He let out an audible sigh, realizing that he could taste her on the glass, as well. The mixture was thrilling, and he found himself reaching out for her. Finding her shoulder, he slid over and raised his other hand to her face. Her soft skin entranced him, and he let his sensitive fingertips explore. With practiced ease, he memorized every curve and plane of her face.

Annie relaxed into his hands as his soft exploration roamed around her face. His hands were excruciatingly gentle, and though she had trusted him with her life on several occasions since she came to the CIA, a sudden thought came to her, causing tears to suddenly spring to her eyes. Could she trust him with her heart? "Auggie?"

The soft whisper came to Auggie's ears as his exploration continued around her jaw to her lips. "Do you want me to stop? Annie, tonight is up to you."

Annie had to swallow a sudden lump in her throat before she spoke again. "There's nothing more I would like than to spend the night with you, but would you mind if we wait? You're my best friend, and - and if this is going to go any further, I don't want it to end with regrets in the morning and a note -" Annie's voice trailed off.

Auggie's hands stilled at her words. Mentally, he finished her sentence, a note on a pillow. Her former lover had swept her off her feet and left her deposited by the side of the road, and he'd be damned if he let that happen to her again.

"Annie," he said, pressing a slow kiss against her lips. "I should have let you know this before, but I know about Ben." He felt her stiffen in his grasp, but he continued. "Although I've been attracted to you since I first met you, when I learned about your past, I backed off. Tonight, when you kissed me back, I resolved to let you lead the way. But you're right, anything this good should be savored slow."

Leaning back, he pulled her into his arms. He ran his hands through her hair and kissed the top of her head. "I propose a more formal arrangement. Dinner, drinks, an outdoor concert or two, and you can even drag me along to one of your sister's Thursday night dinners."

Annie laughed and snuggled into his chest. "Are you sure about that? She's got a husband and two rambunctious daughters."

"Ahh, that's where you're wrong. Children love me. They're much more accepting than most adults. And next month, we could take a weekend to go Washington Park."

Pulling a blanket off the back of the couch, he laid it over her.

They talked into the early morning hours, laughing and learning more about one another. When the dawn came, its gentle light found the couple asleep in a loose embrace on the leather couch.

The End


	13. Late night conversations

Title: Late Night Conversations

Category: TV Shows » Covert Affairs

Author: Beth - Geek Chick

Language: English, Rating: Rated: T

Genre: Romance/Humor

Published: 08-14-10, Updated: 08-24-10

Chapters: 2, Words: 4,339

Chapter 1

A slow, distant buzzing woke Annie out of a deep sleep. At first she thought it was a mosquito or fly or bee invading her dreams, but when the buzzing wouldn't be swatted away, she opened her eyes.

As consciousness surfaced closer, the buzzing became louder, more distinct, and directly from her nightstand. Her personal cellphone was vibrating. Throwing the blanket off her t-shirt clad body, she reached for it, frowning. Only a few people knew her personal number, and who calls in the middle of the night?

The buzzing silenced once she picked it up. Damn, she missed it. "1 missed call," the illumination read, with a phone number listed below it. Auggie. She glanced at her alarm clock and saw that, although she had been asleep for a few hours, it was only 11:05pm.

Opting to forego any kind of night activity this Friday, Annie had gone home directly after work. Late nights, early mornings and adrenaline set on "high" caused her stress levels to peak, and she found a good eight to ten-hour deep sleep session recharged her like nothing else.

She hit redial, hoping Auggie was still there. He answered on the second ring. "Hello?"

"Auggie, hi, It's Annie. Sorry I missed your call. I was sleeping."

"Already? Is everything okay? You're not sick, are you?"

The concern in Auggie's voice made Annie smile. It had been a long time since she had a best friend to check up on her. Swinging her legs up under her, she tucked the blanket around her once more.

"No, not sick, nothing wrong. Just exhausted. You're not calling from the bar, are you? Didn't you and the tech squad have plans to go out?"

Opening a bottle of Corona, Auggie made his way to his living room. Calling Annie had been a spur-of-the-moment thing, after his plans had been cut short by a sharp slap to his friend Stan's face. The embarrassment and near-bar brawl had ruined the evening, and the group decided to head home. Stan had offered him a

lift, and he took it.

"Yeah, that didn't end too well. You remember Stan?"

"Sort of. Isn't he kind of short? Whistles when he laughs?"

Auggie chuckled. "That's him. It was his birthday today, so we decided to hit the bar, and after a couple of shots of courage, Stan tried to hit on a girl he said was eyeing him up. He didn't want to talk about what happened, but all I heard was a slap, a high-pitched scream that could have been the girl or Stan, and a chorus of 'ooh, damn,' coming from the guys."

Annie laughed and inwardly cringed. Stan wasn't that bad of a guy, and she sort of felt sorry for him. "You should give him some pointers. He's not a bad-looking guy."

"Going to have to, if I ever want to spend more than 15 minutes in a bar with that group again."

Auggie took a long drink of his beer and stretched out on his sofa. "So the guys decided to call it a night. I bummed a ride off Stan and came home. Haven't been home this early since high school when I had a midnight curfew."

"Midnight, huh? You're lucky. My curfew was 11. Guys kept wondering why I wanted them to pick me up so early. It was because I wanted to get as much time alone with them as I could."

"Oh, so you're the one who created speed-dating," Auggie laughed. "You should have patented that, could've made a fortune. Anyway, Annie, I don't want to keep you up since you were sleeping, so if you -"

"No, it's okay. I'm awake now, and I can catch up on my sleep this weekend. No work, no social obligations, and no set plans. What about you?"

Auggie thought for a moment, an idea had come to mind, but he wondered if Annie would go for it. "Same here. But it's still kind of early - well, for me, anyway. If you're up now -"

Annie heard Auggie's voice trail off and smiled. "Want some company?"

"We could just hang out. I managed to snag some Coronas on the way home."

"Sounds great. Give me 15 minutes."

Hearing a sudden click, Auggie realized Annie had hung up on him. 15 minutes? She lived 10 minutes away, he knew, so she'd probably throw on some lounge pants, her coat, and show up looking like she had just gotten out of bed. The mental image he had in his mind of Annie Walker, derived from his own observations and others' descriptions, was of a put-together young woman in her late 20s in a kick-ass dark blue suit and long dark blonde hair.

In a flash, an image surfaced of Annie as a rumpled sex kitten, hair tousled, silk top and pants, and bare feet. A delicious sensation traveled down his spine at the thought.

Taking a huge swig of the Corona, Auggie shook his head. Gotta be the alcohol, the third of the evening for him, after downing two at the bar. He wasn't too drunk, but obviously, it was enough to send his imagination and libido into overdrive. "Yeah, that's it, Anderson, blame it on the booze," he thought to himself, getting up to turn on the porch light and a lamp on the end table.

Annie swung her legs off the bed and slid out, bare feet hitting the hardwood floor. She had gone to bed in an oversized tee, and reaching into a dresser drawer, she pulled out a pair of cotton lounge pants. Grabbing a light jacket, purse, cell, and sandals, she was out of the house and on the road in a few minutes. Technically, it was more than the ten minutes it usually took for her to get there, but she had a propensity to drive fast. She pulled up into his drive and walked to his door.

Hearing a light knock, Auggie set the Coronas on the table in front of the couch. He had tidied up as much as a ten-minute window could afford him. Walking around the couch, he made his way to the front door. "Annie?" he asked loudly.

"Yes, Auggie, it's me."

Auggie unlocked the deadbolt and opened the door. The cool summer air wafted in, along with a slight touch of citrus. Annie. Even this late, maybe 18 hours after she probably applied her scent, he could still smell it on her. "Hey, come on in."

She walked in past him, giving his arm a quick squeeze. Auggie shut the door and reapplied the lock. "If you want to hang up your coat, there's a hook right here.""Okay," Annie said, feeling his hands on her shoulders. She unzipped the windbreaker and let him slide it off her shoulders. She wasn't sure, but she thought he rubbed his palm against her back before he turned away to hang up her jacket. It was the lightest touch, but sent a warmth through her she couldn't explain.

"The beer's on the table. Help yourself." Auggie hung her coat on the hook and followed her into the living room. He heard her drop down onto the couch and open the bottle.

Annie curled her legs under her and took a drink, watching Auggie walk around to a shelf on his media center. "Are we going to watch a movie?"

"Either that or play cards, but you'd have a slight advantage," he replied, smiling at her. "Unless, of course, you'd prefer strip poker, which I wouldn't mind so much."

Annie was taking a drink and nearly choked. "No, a movie's fine. I've never understood poker much."

Taking "Pulp Fiction" off the shelf, Auggie inserted the disk into the DVD player and joined Annie on the couch, grabbing his Corona on the way. "You see, the thing with strip poker is, you don't have to be that good at it to win."

He grabbed the remote off the table and handed it to Annie, "Would you mind?"

Annie took the remote and looked at Auggie with a suspicious eye, wondering where this flirty attitude was coming from. "How many of those have you had?"

"Two at the bar, and this would be my third. Not drunk yet, but getting there."

"Ahh, I see. I'm still not playing strip poker with you."

Annie started the movie and settled back into the couch. "Pulp Fiction" wasn't one of her favorite movies, but she didn't hate it, and, she thought to herself, any time she spent with Auggie was worth it. In fact, ever since she left the Farm and started at the DPD, most of her free time was spent in his company. Tonight's late night phone call wasn't the first they had shared, and several times a week, they had drinks at the local tavern. She knew a lot about him, but as the title sequence rolled on the movie, a thought came to her.

"Can I ask you a question, Auggie?"

"You can ask me anything, but I draw the line at what color my underwear is."

Annie laughed, "It's kind of a dumb question, though. I was wondering how you enjoy movies so much since, well -"

Auggie smiled, "Since I can't see it, right? Ever heard of Descriptive Audio Service? It's audio commentary of a movie's action. Not every movie has it, and some I've had to search hard for, but if I hear it once, I can remember it and follow along. Plus, this particular movie has a kick-ass soundtrack."

"Oh, that's pretty cool. I'd never heard of that."

"And it wasn't a dumb question, Annie. I know my being blind doesn't - well, hasn't fazed you or made you uncomfortable since I met you. Anything you want to know, don't hesitate to ask."

Annie took another drink of her beer before speaking again, "Anything?"

Auggie nodded, finishing off his Corona and placing the empty bottle on the table in front of him. "What do you want to know?"

"Do you miss seeing?" The question came out of Annie's mouth before she realized. She clapped her hand over her mouth, but it was too late. That was out of line, Walker, she told herself. Had she pushed too far? Looking over at him, she saw that his brow was furrowed in deep thought, and he was sitting absolutely still.

"Auggie, you don't have to answer that. Seriously, that was out of line."

Taking a deep breath, Auggie turned toward Annie. He thought she would ask how he got around so well, or how long it took him to learn Braille, the standard questions he receives from people. No one, not since he lost his sight, had anyone ever asked him if he missed it.

Annie reached out and grabbed Auggie's hand.

Auggie felt Annie's hand on his and laid his own on top. He rubbed his thumb over her wrist and took a deep breath. "No one's ever asked me that, Annie, and I'm not sure I have an answer for you. The past five years have been nothing but learning how to deal with not being able to see, embracing a new lifestyle, building up a thick skin to the pitying remarks."

Lifting his hand to her face, Annie pressed his palm to her cheek. "Auggie, you don't have to -"

"No, let me finish." Auggie replied, gently lifting his other hand to her cheek. "I've never been the type of person to give in to despair, and I don't let those around me do it, either. There's always someone much worse off, and someone else needing the help that I can give. It took a while for me to learn how to accept others' help, but once I got back on my feet, I've put all my effort into becoming self-sufficient and learning new things."

A stray lock of hair brushed Auggie's hand, and he tucked it behind Annie's ear. He heard her slide over closer to him, and as her head leaned against his shoulder, he wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

Brushing a kiss against the top of her head, he continued, "I've used humor to brush aside people's doubts, and it's worked, for the most part. Then into my life comes Annie Walker, who never once talked to me with pity in her voice. Who sometimes forgot I couldn't see and walked me into walls."

He felt her shoulders shake with suppressed laughter. "Thought I'd forget that, huh? Annie Walker, who's become one of my closest friends, asks me if I miss seeing. I keep my memories, Annie. I use images of the past to fill in the future, but - there is one thing I dream of seeing."

When Auggie didn't elaborate, Annie looked up at him expectantly. She felt her heart skip a beat at the closeness of their embrace. Letting her eyes roam over his face, she took in what other women were attracted to, and in the short whisper of a breath, she realized she was falling for him. Who else would she get out of bed and drive across town for? Who else would open themselves up so fully to her? Who else in the world has always had her back? The new emotion made her gasp, and she gave Auggie a quick squeeze around his waist.

"What do you want to see, Auggie?"

"You." Auggie said, as much to Annie as to himself. "Does your hair glow blonder in the sunshine? Does your smile light up your face? Are your eyes -"

Auggie stopped himself, realizing what he was saying. True, she had made the first move, sliding over to him and now holding him around the waist with her head on his shoulder, but he wasn't sure if she was being a good friend or making a pass.

Hearing him hesitate, Annie decided to make the first move. "You see me better than anyone I've ever known."

"Annie -"

His answer was cut off as Auggie felt a finger on his lips. They were then followed by her lips, moving slowly, but insistently against his. The unexpected move caused him to still for a moment, then he kissed back, putting all of what he wanted to say into motion. He tasted the Corona on her breath, and it further intoxicated him. Running his hands up into her hair, he held her still as he pulled away, catching his breath.

Auggie smiled and let his hands roam over her face. His mental image of her as a sex kitten came to him, and he laughed softly.

"What's so funny?" Annie asked, smiling and laying her head back on his shoulder.

"You wouldn't happen to own any silk shorty pajamas, would you?"

"Huh?"

"Never mind."

Annie shook her head in slight confusion and snuggled more into him. Closing her eyes, the pounding of his heart echoed her own. The rhythmic sound lulled her, and she soon found herself falling asleep.

When Annie's breath had changed, Auggie realized she really was very tired and almost felt guilty for pulling her out of her bed. Almost. He eased himself out from beside her and grabbed the coverlet off the back of the couch. Gently covering her, he ran his hand over her hair and placed a kiss on her forehead. "Good night, Annie," he whispered into her hair.

He wished he could have stayed with her there, but a lot had been said tonight, and he didn't want to push this newfound relationship too far. Grabbing the remote, he turned the tv off and walked to his bedroom.

Chapter 2

The next morning, Auggie woke with a hangover. Not the worst he'd ever had, but his head was pounding. Now to find out how his stomach felt. Slowly he sat up, waiting for the nausea. It didn't come, so he guessed last night's imbibing hadn't been too bad. He rubbed his hands over his face, feeling the stubble. A hot shower and shave should clear his head, and if not, a couple of aspirin would clear the rest of the cobwebs.

Throwing the blankets off his body, he swung his legs off the bed and stood. Stepping out of his bedroom, he was halfway across the hallway when he realized he smelled coffee. The sound of a cupboard door closing came from his kitchen. Confusion swirled in his pounding temples as he turned away from the bathroom and headed to the kitchen.

"Hello?" He asked as he reached the doorway.

"Morning, Auggie. I just put the coffee on, so if you want to go ahead and shower first. Judging from the empties on the table, I figured you would need some."

Annie. What was she doing here? Furiously, he thought back on the events of last night, only to find pieces. He remembered being at a bar with his fellow techies, but unfortunately, it was a blank from then on. He wasn't sure how or why she was at his place on an early Saturday morning, but judging from her sunny disposition, he was the only one suffering the after-effects of large amounts of alcohol.

"Umm, morning. What time is it?"

"9:00. I was about to come wake you up."

"Yeah. Listen, I think I will shower. Feel free to fix yourself something to eat."

Auggie turned quickly and made his way to the bathroom. As he stripped off his clothes and stepped under the hot spray, his brain started to clear, and more snippets of last night's activities came to mind. He had been out with the guys to celebrate...something. He remembered coming home early with a six-pack. The taste of Corona was still on his tongue, and in a flash, he remembered tasting it somewhere else. Annie. A mental image of her in silk pajamas, the feel of her arms around him and, oh, God, the taste of her on his lips. The memory was too immediate to be just a dream, but what happened between the bar and the kiss?

He quickly finished cleaning up, and was getting dressed when he herad Annie call out, "Auggie? I made eggs, if you're hungry."

Auggie took a deep breath, pulling the t-shirt down over his head, which was pounding about half as much. Time to face the consequences, he thought, making his way back down the hallway and into the kitchen.

Hearing a slow, shuffling walk, Annie turned from the stove to see Auggie enter the kitchen. Fresh from the shower, his hair was curlier than normal, and she fought an urge to tangle her fingers in it. His face, however, showed signs of a major hangover, as did his slow movements. He had said he wasn't drunk last night when she came over, but he must have polished off the rest of the six-pack as she slept.

Sitting down heavily in a chair, Auggie rubbed his temples, willing his headache to dissipate. The smell of coffee brought his head up again, as Annie placed a mug in front of him, and grabbing his hand, placed it on the mug. As she pulled her hand away, he grasped it again, placing it against his cheek and relishing the warmth. "Thank you," he breathed into her palm.

"You're welcome, Auggie. There's also a plate in front of you with scrambled eggs and toast." Sitting down beside him, Annie sipped on her own coffee. "I wasn't sure of your breakfast tastes, but I figured you'd need some sustenance to counteract the alcohol."

Auggie took a bite of food, thinking hard. Annie's voice and demeanor didn't sound awkward or forced. In fact, it was rather gentle and soft, softer than he'd encountered with her. Again, he tried to piece together the events of the night before. He remembered coming home with some bottles of Corona, not his normal drink. Then nothing. But something must have happened, he told himself. Annie was here, and he knew some time last night, he tasted beer on her lips. And what was with the silk nightgown?

Frustrated at the whole situation, he laid down his fork and sighed heavily. "Annie?"

"Yeah?"

"This may sound weird, but could you describe to me what you're wearing?"

"Umm, a red t-shirt and cotton pants."

So, Auggie thought, she wasn't wearing silk, but what if she had changed clothes?

"You wouldn't happen to own any silk pajamas, would you?"

Annie laughed out loud, nearly choking on her coffee. "What is it with you wanting me in silk pajamas?"

"Well, I was just wondering."

"No, I don't own any, like I said last night, but if you're so hung up on them, I guess I could go shopping," Annie said, reaching across the table and stroking Auggie's arm.

The caress was smooth and gentle, traveling up Auggie's arm. A feeling he hadn't felt for a long time shot across his chest, and he inhaled deeply. As she started to pull away, he stayed her hand with his. Matching her caress, he moved his hand up her arm, lightly touching here and there with his fingertips until he reached her shoulder. He heard her sigh, and he moved his hand in front of her lips just enough to catch the expelling of air. "I wish I could see you."

Annie, moved to almost tears by the gentleness of his touch, placed a soft kiss on his fingertips. "Auggie, I told you last night,. You see me better than anyone."

"You did?"

"Yes," Annie answered, clasping his hand. "Don't you remember? I'm kind of embarrassed of it now, but I rather tactlessly asked you if you missed seeing, and you said the only thing you wish you could see was me."

"Did - did we - you know -"

"Did we what?"

"Annie, please. I'm embarrassed to say that much of last night was a blur, as I drank more than I usually do."

"You mean you don't remember? At all?"

"Little bits here and there. Let's just say I was surprised to find you here this morning."

Smiling, Annie had to bite back a laugh. So their long talk, her embracing him, and then kissing him, he didn't remember any of it. But he obviously remembered a couple of things, 'cause he asked her again about the silk nightgown.

"Well, you called me last night about 11. I had gone to bed early 'cause I was exhausted, and you woke me up. I came over, and we watched a movie."

"Oh."

Hearing the disappointment in Auggie's voice, Annie laughed out loud. "What, did you think we slept together?"

A deep flush crept up Auggie's neck, "No, no, nothing like that. I'm SURE I would remember making love with you, but -"

"But what?"

Auggie took a deep breath, "I do remember, at some point, that I had tasted Corona on your lips. I don't know, maybe it was just a dream, just like the silk nightgown I keep imagining you in. I'm sorry if I embarrassed you in any way last night. I promise not to drunk-call you again, and -"

A finger across his lips silenced Auggie. He heard a chair scraping on the tiled floor, and a slight rush of air as the finger was replaced by lips. As Annie's mouth moved across his, a rush of emotions flooded his brain, bringing with it the memory of last night's kiss.

His hands grasped at her, finding her waist. Bringing her nearer to him, he kissed Annie back, tasting coffee this time instead of the alcohol.

As he broke away, he smiled and pulled her body down onto his lap. She wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her head on his shoulder. The familiar embrace brought with it the rest of last night's activities. He had shared with her the fact that he had accepted his life as it was now, but yearned to see her. She then kissed him and fell asleep in his arms.

"Annie?"

"Hmm?"

"Mind if I ask you something?"

"As long as it has nothing to do with silk shorty pajamas."

Auggie laughed, "No, I was just wondering what you were doing this weekend."

"Staying here, with you," Annie replied, reaching up and searing another kiss on Auggie's lips.

THE END


	14. Save the Best for Last

Title: Save the Best for Last

Category: TV Shows » Covert Affairs

Author: Beth - Geek Chick

Language: English, Rating: Rated: T

Genre: Romance/Angst

Published: 04-14-11, Updated: 04-21-11

Chapters: 5, Words: 14,413

Chapter 1

_Always the last to know_

_How you're feeling_

_The last to know_

_Where you are_

_The last to know_

_Don't let me be_

_The last to know_

Click. Annie turned off her car radio, wondering when her favorite station had started playing old '90s tunes. Still, she thought, it was a good song. And she found herself humming it as she walked across the parking lot toward the imposing building in front of her. A few people were dispersed around, and she was nearly to the door when she heard a familiar voice.

"This late to the CIA? You must be new."

Annie slowed her steps and turned, tilting her head to the side and slightly up at the tall, blonde and smiling man who walked up behind her. "Sounds awfully familiar. You run out of opening lines, Conrad?"

"Well, since it served me so well the first time around," he said, sliding his hand down her arm. He glanced around at the scurrying, well-dressed people, making sure no one was within hearing distance. "It is our one-year anniversary, you know, and seeing you walking by like that reminded me of better times."

Annie looked puzzled. "One year? We've been dating for six months, Conrad."

"Well, yes, but exactly one year ago, we met here, don't you remember?"

Annie smiled, touched that he remembered such a thing. "Of course I remember. So, you still at it,then? Hanging around outside the entrance to chat up the girls?"

"Hanging around outside, yes. I try to keep my chatting to one specific girl, though," he said, winking down at her.

"Good to hear. We should be heading in," she said.

He dropped his hand from her arm as they passed through the doors and headed to the security barrier. After they'd passed through the turnstile, Annie turned to head to her own department. Conrad still worked on the top floor, rubbing shoulders with Arthur Campbell and crew.

"Hey, Annie, wait," Conrad said, causing her to turn back to him. "You're free this weekend, right?"

Seeing the pleading look in his eyes, Annie had to smile. "Yes, Joan assured me that I'm not needed for anything for at least a week."

"Good," he said, with a smile before walking away.

Okay, Annie said to herself, as she resumed her walk to the DPD. As she did, her thoughts went over the past six months she'd shared with Conrad Sheehan. After she had met him her first day, he seemed to have faded into the background, and she always wondered where he'd gone, or what he was doing. Then, months after she'd returned from Sri Lanka with Jai – minus Ben – he'd showed up beside her desk.

He'd apologized for not coming by sooner, but he'd been out of country for most of that time and on official business, so personal calls were not possible. His charm and sweetness that caught her eye her first day were still there, and though she'd hesitated at first to accept his offer for a date, she knew she couldn't mourn Ben forever.

She needed to get out, needed to get back on her game, and so she said yes. They'd dated, gotten closer, and a couple months later, she'd let herself be talked into staying the night at his place. Though it wasn't as earth-shattering as she hoped it'd be, the sex was good. They'd settled into a routine of seeing each other when neither wasn't on a mission. Given how infrequent that was, their relationship seemed to be stretching out into slow motion.

But maybe this weekend would ramp things up, she thought. He seemed so excited about the prospect, she wondered what he had planned that would cause him to make sure she was free three days ahead of time.

Annie was halfway through reading a mission directive when she glanced down at the time and realized she was late meeting Conrad. They'd made a point of, when they were both in-house, to meet up close to the end of day to decide on their plans for that evening. She jumped up from her chair and hurried out of the department down to the food court, where she saw him talking animatedly into his cellphone outside of the Starbucks.

He didn't seem to have noticed her arrival, so she hung back a few feet, trying hard not to overhear his conversation. When he'd finally hung up, he was frowning and ran his hand through his hair, mussing it up a bit.

"Conrad?" Annie asked, walking up to him. "Everything okay?"

"What?" he said, rounding on her, obviously still in somewhat of a bad mood. "Oh, Annie, sorry about that."

"Anything I can do?"

"No, no," he said, taking a deep breath. "I'm glad you're here, though. I know we said we'd get together whenever we were both here, but I'm going to have to bow out of tonight."

"Oh," Annie said, trying to hide her disappointment and failing.

"Come on, don't frown," Conrad said. "It adds wrinkles, you know."

Annie blinked at the tone of condescension in his voice, but instead of uttering the sarcastic remark that lingered on her tongue, she plastered a smile on her face. "No, it's fine. You – you still want to go out this weekend, though, right?"

"Yes, of course. See you then?" he said, not bothering to wait for an answer. Annie watched as he walked away from her.

She dropped down into her chair with a sigh, catching the notice of her fellow agent sitting across from her. She flipped the mission directive folder back open, thinking if nothing else, she'd stay over tonight and get some work done.

"Problem, Walker?" Jai asked, watching the blonde's anxious movements.

Annie lifted her eyes to him, ready to tell him it was none of his business when she saw his teasing smile. She and Jai had made their peace a while ago, though it'd come hard for her. He'd apologized so many times, though, she agreed one day to sit down and let him explain everything to her. She still didn't want to believe him at first, but she soon realized it was her own hurt ego that wasn't allowing his apology to sink in.

They'd come to an unsteady friendship since then, and Annie no longer frowned at him or talked behind his back. In fact, he'd almost come to be as good a friend as Auggie had in the past year.

"No, just my plans for tonight seem to have fallen through," she said with a half smile. "Guess I'll be able to get some of this paperwork done I'd been putting off."

"Or you could do what the rest of us do at 5pm every day," Jai said, leaning back in his chair.

"And what's that?"

"Darts tournament down at the tavern," he said.

"I don't play darts, Jai," Annie said, returning her attention back to the file in front of her.

"Come on, Annie. There's no point in working yourself to the bone. A bunch of us meet there every Wednesday. Surely you can allow yourself one night of fun?"

Annie thought about it for a full minute, then came to the conclusion that Jai was right. Lately she'd been dividing her time between Danielle and her nieces, her work, and Conrad. A night out with friends seemed almost foreign to her.

"Sure, why not?" Annie acquiesced, closing once again the folder in front of her. "But I'm not kidding about the darts thing. I don't know how to play."

"Ahh, don't worry. You could just stand by the side and cheer us on. Got any pom-poms left over from your high school days?" Jai laughed.

"How did you know –" Annie said before realizing he was laughing. "Ohh, that was low, Wilcox. Prepare to meet your dartboard maker."

Jai's mouth hung open as Annie hit another 20, effectively winning their match. "Geez, I'm glad the other guys made me partner up with you."

Annie childlishly stuck her tongue out at him and laughed, accepting pats on the back from the other two agents that they were playing against. She'd worked side-by-side with both John Abrams and Robert Clark, but this was the first time she'd seen them outside of the office, and she had to admit, they were a fun group of guys.

"Here you go, Walker," Abrams said, setting a shot in front of her and Jai. "I'm calling dibs now, though. Next time, you're my partner."

"Hey now, wait a minute," Jai said, before a well-placed shot in the ribs by Annie's elbow silenced him.

"You had no faith in me to begin with, Jai. I gladly accept Abrams' offer," Annie said, saluting the tall, dark-haired man with her glass before downing the shot of whiskey.

Since it was her third – no, her fourth – of that night, she reveled in the warmth spreading through her, and she sat back in her chair with a smile on her face. She only barely heard the beeping of her cell in her pocket, and she pulled it out, to find a text from Conrad.

_where r u?_

Allen's, Annie wrote back.

_by yourself?_

Annie frowned at his question.

_no, with some of the guys_

_who?_

_Jai, Abrams and Clark What r u doing? Thought u were busy_

_Was. Done now. Thought I'd pick u up_

_Well, come on down here_

_I don't think so_

_Okay_

_See you tomorrow_

_Okay_

_Wait, Conrad?_

Her phone stayed silent, and Annie was about to send another text when she clapped it shut and shoved it back in her pocket. What was wrong with him lately? He'd never turned down an excuse to hang out and have a drink or two. Moaning, she ran her hand through her hair, looking around for Jai and the guys.

Apparently, they'd abandoned her for a couple of well-dressed women – one a curvy brunette, one a stunning redhead – whom Annie had seen watching them during their game. Well, she couldn't blame them. But now she was alone, and in need of a cab ride since Conrad was apparently mad at her for whatever reason.

Standing, she was about to head to the bar for another drink when she saw Auggie sitting at a table. An easy smile crossed her face at the sight, and she wasted no time crossing the bar to sit next to him.

"Annie! Come to join me?" Auggie said, reaching over to pull out the chair next to him.

Annie sank down into it, gladly accepting the bottle he pushed over to her. "Thanks, Aug," she said, taking a swig before returning it back to him.

Auggie heard the slurred, slightly defeated tone of her voice. "Something wrong? Heard you laughing with the guys over there a little while ago. They beat you too badly, huh?"

"No, actually, Jai and I won," Annie said with a laugh.

"Oh, okay, then. No wonder you sound so upset," Auggie said with a slight tilt of his head to her. "Come on, Annie. What's wrong?"

Annie didn't want to tell him, but something about his demeanor and soft brown eyes tonight made her want to crawl into his lap and spill all her problems to him. But she hesitated. No one at the agency knew of her and Conrad – his idea, not hers – and she wasn't sure if her relationship problems were something she should confide in with him. But that's just it, she thought. She confided everything in Auggie. Had since her first day, and he never let her down in all that time.

Taking a deep breath, wishing she had one or two more of those shots of whiskey, Annie opened her mouth and told Auggie about the last six months of her love life.

Whatever Auggie had thought she was upset at, it was nothing compared to what she was telling him now. He thought maybe her last mission was still weighing on her mind, or maybe one of the guys she'd been playing darts with had said the wrong thing. But this? This stunned him, blindsided him, and, he quickly found, upset him more than he'd care to admit.

When she'd finished her summation with the text conversation she'd had with Conrad, Auggie could only think of one thing to ask.

"How long?"

"The past six months," Annie said, keeping her eyes on her folded hands on the table. For some reason, she couldn't bring herself to look at him. She knew he didn't have any appreciation for the "stuffed shirts" on the seventh floor, as he called them.

"Six months?" Auggie said slowly. "And all this time, you never said anything to me?"

"Well, Conrad thought it best –"

"To hell with Conrad!" Auggie said shortly, causing Annie to jump. "What do you want?"

"Well, I –" Annie stammered, not quite knowing what to say.

Auggie huffed, shaking his head. "When did you become such a wilting flower, Annie?" he asked, taking a swig of his beer.

At his words, Annie's head jerked up. "I thought, as my best friend, you'd have more than insults for me. I guess I was wrong. Bye, Auggie. I gotta get a cab."

"No, Annie, wait," Auggie said, throwing his hand out and catching her on the wrist as she stood. He waited until she sat back down before he released her. "I'm sorry. But it's just – this is all a little too much to take all at once."

"It's okay. I should have told you," Annie said, reaching out to take his hand.

Auggie felt her fingers intertwine with his, and he smiled. "Didn't you say to me a long time ago that you refused to date within the agency ever again?"

"Yeah, well, that's what I thought at the time," Annie said.

"So, what happened?"

Annie turned more towards him, pulling the strength she needed through their clasped hands. "I just came to the realization that I couldn't do it. I lie so much to everyone, it'd be doubly as hard lying to someone I was dating."

"And then?"

"Guess Conrad showed up right then," Annie said, shrugging her shoulders.

And swept you right off your feet, Auggie finished silently. She began tracing her fingers along the back of his hand, and he shut his eyes at the sensations it caused up his arm and through his body. A gamut of thoughts ran through his head. Does she love Conrad? Or is it just a mutual liking?

Why did she choose him, out of everyone else in the building that had been pining over her long legs and blonde hair since she arrived a year ago? Or, he admitted to himself, why not him? He'd been there for her, and she for him, the entire time. He knew her better than anyone, and there were things he told her that he'd never told anyone else in his life.

She always came to him when she was upset, and they'd commiserate, like they were doing now. But this – this was new. She sat there, caressing his hand, oblivious to the fact that her touch ignited a tiny flame in him, while her words threatened to douse it at the same time.

A/N Story is based on "Save the Best for Last" song by Vanessa Williams.

_All of the nights you came to me_

_When some silly girl had set you free_

_You wondered how you'd make it through_

_I wondered what was wrong with you_

_'Cause how could you give your love to someone else_

_And share your dreams with me_

_Sometimes the very thing you're looking for_

_Is the one thing you can't see_

_And now we're standing face to face_

_Isn't this world a crazy place_

_Just when I thought our chance had passed_

_You go and save the best for last_

Chapter 2

Auggie Anderson was never one to back down from a fight. And, though no one had exactly challenged him to one, he found himself in a battle. The unannounced, unplanned battle for one Annie Walker.

Even as she'd given him a hug the night before and left in a cab home, he started planning. He had no intention of breaking her and Conrad up. If Annie was happy in her current situation, he'd be a heel to cause her grief by running interference. No, his plan was stealthy, almost cunning. He'd be her friend, her best friend, and he'd be there with arms wide open should she need someone to turn to.

Conrad's plan had always been to date her, he realized, and that's where Auggie went wrong. He liked her, really liked her, and somehow he'd gotten subjugated into the role of best friend. He loved that role, and wouldn't have it any other way. But doing so made her think of someone else once she started looking around for someone to share her heart and body with.

So, once work started the next morning, Auggie made sure he had a warm welcome for her, a bright smile, and a question on his lips of how she was doing. His usual sarcastic banter that he knew she would laugh at he left by the wayside. He made sure it wasn't too blatant, as Annie could see through him like no one else. He just wanted to make sure she was happy.

As for Annie, she felt a wave of relief the next morning when Auggie went out of his way to ask if she was all right. He'd never come right out and say he was sorry for snapping at her the previous night when she'd come clean about her relationship with Conrad. And Annie didn't want him to. Because he was absolutely right.

Though she always thought of herself as a strong, independent woman, her behavior in regards to her relationship with Conrad made her look like a wimp, or as Auggie so bluntly put it, like a wilting flower. What happened to her these last six months? Had she been so infatuated with the blonde superagent that she'd unwittingly agreed to take a backseat to him?

She'd never done that before in her life, not with anyone she'd ever dated. After thinking about it over the next couple of days, Annie decided to take a more forthright approach in her relationship. She was acting less and less like herself, and she didn't like it.

When Friday end of day rolled around, her phone rang, and she saw that it was Conrad. He still hadn't given any hint as to what they were doing that weekend, and Annie was getting anxious.

"Hey, sweetheart, still on for tonight?"

"Of course, been looking forward to it all week," Annie said.

"I like to hear that. I'll you up at 7 at your place. I'm assuming you have something formal to wear?"

Annie was taken somewhat aback at his question. "Formal? Yes, of course, but what's all this for?"

"It'll be dinner out, so try not to fill up on anything," Conrad continued.

"Conrad, I'm serious. What's this for?" Annie said, a bit more emphatically.

"I was about to tell you before you interrupted. My brother's in town, and we're having dinner with him."

"Oh," Annie said, a bit taken aback. "A formal dinner with your brother?"

Her tone must have struck Conrad as less than enthusiastic, as he retorted. "My brother, James, is a judge, Annie. He lives in California, but he's visiting for the week."

"Oh, I see," Annie said, slumping down in her chair a bit. Her fancy, important weekend date with Conrad was nothing more than a family reunion. But still, she hadn't met any of Conrad's family, so maybe tonight would be rather interesting. "What have you told him?"

"He believes I'm a lawyer, working on Capitol Hill."

"Okay," Annie said. "What have you told him about me?"

"You're my girlfriend."

"I mean, what's my cover?"

"There's really no need for anything further. I doubt if James would care."

Annie felt a sinking in her chest, but she gritted her teeth against her growing annoyance. "Okay, I guess you're right. You'll pick me up at 7?"

"Of course. Can't wait to see you."

"Mm. Bye, Conrad."

Annie hung up the phone, miffed at Conrad, but somewhat mad at herself, as well. She'd built herself up to be so strong and unwielding, but still came across as one of those women who acquiesced to her lover's every whim without batting an eye.

But, she thought, maybe Conrad didn't get along with his brother, and that would explain his behavior. It was the only excuse she could think of for his behavior as of late, and she knew, seeing it for herself tonight would prove it.

She had just stepped out of the shower a little past 6pm when her phone rang. She grimaced a bit, wondering if it were Conrad. Truly, if he canceled plans with her at the last minute again, she was breaking up with him.

A quick glance at the caller ID showed Auggie's number instead, and she grabbed up the receiver. "Hey, Auggie."

"Annie, glad you're home. You'll never believe what I just got in the mail."

Annie laughed and sat on her bed, running a towel through her wet hair with one hand. "Well, considering how excited you sound right now, I'd say it has something to do with technology or music."

"Wrong on both accounts. Actually, you should be the one excited," he teased.

"And why would I be excited for something you got in the mail, Auggie?"

"Because it's something you've been looking for, and I finally found it," he said with a triumphant gloat.

Annie frowned, wondering what he was talking about, and then it hit her. "Ohh! You found my movie?"

She heard him laugh, and then "That I did, Miss Walker. So what do you say? The night's still young, and I seem to remember you promising to convert me to a fan if I ever found a copy of it."

"Oh, Auggie," Annie said, disappointment rushing through her. "I know I promised, but –"

"You've got plans for tonight."

"I'm sorry," Annie said.

"No problem. Umm, you and Conrad have a good time. We can watch this some other time."

The disappointment in his voice caused a flash of pain through Annie, taking her a bit aback. She dropped the towel on her bed. "It's not that I don't want to, Auggie. I do, really, but Conrad's brother's in town, and he wanted to introduce me to him."

"You don't have to explain, Annie."

"No, I do. I really want to see this movie, and you went out of your way to get it for me," Annie said. "How about tomorrow night?"

"Sounds great."

Annie could almost hear the joy in his voice, and it made her smile. "Since you got the movie, I'll bring the popcorn."

"You got yourself a deal," Auggie said.

After hanging up, Annie headed to her closet with a smile on her face. Suddenly, the weekend was looking very promising.

Almost exactly 24 hours later, Auggie did a final walk through of his apartment, in anticipation of Annie's arrival. Though she'd been there several times in the past, he found himself almost unconsciously wanting to make a good impression. Only after he'd found himself setting out a bottle of wine and two glasses that he realized what he was doing.

He'd pretty much been preparing himself for a date, straightening up, showering, making sure his clothes were neat and pressed, and including an unaccustomed bottle of wine in his grocery order. He groaned at himself, and wondered if he should go back and change into jeans and a t-shirt when he heard her knock.

Too late now, he thought, as he walked to the door and opened it.

"Hey, Auggie. Brought the popcorn, as requested," Annie said, walking in. "And as it's a special occasion, I opted for the movie theater butter brand."

Auggie laughed, "Well, then, maybe I should have opted for soda instead."

"Instead of what?" Annie asked, before noticing the glasses and bottle on the kitchen counter. "Wine?"

"Well, I'd gotten it for something else, but –" Auggie said, immediately regretting the small fib.

"It's perfect!" Annie exclaimed. "After all, we are about to watch a very cultured film, and since we're both dressed up, a bottle of wine is very fitting."

Dressed up? Auggie thought. Granted, he was wearing slacks and one of his white dress shirts with the neck open and sleeves rolled up, but what was she wearing? Before he could stop himself, he asked her.

"Oh, don't worry, I didn't wearing anything formal, unlike last night. Just a summer dress. It's kind of warm out there," Annie said, setting the box of Orville Redenbacher on the counter next to the wine carafe. "So, where's my present?"

Auggie retrieved the DVD case from his desk and walked over to her, presenting it to her with both hands, his head bowed. "Miss Walker, may I present 'The Court Jester,' a hard-to-find DVD copy of the classic Danny Kaye comedy."

Annie giggled, then clapped her hands over her mouth. When she'd contained her laughter, she said solemnly, taking the DVD out of his hands, "Why, Mr. Anderson, I don't know how to thank you for such a bountiful gift."

After Auggie extricated the cork out of the wine bottle, he set it down on the wine carafe and carried it to the table in front of the couch. "So, last night was a formal night out, huh?"

Annie accepted the wine glass from him and leaned back, taking a sip. "Yeah, I'm sorry I had to bail on you like that."

"No, it's okay. You're here now."

Auggie poured himself a glass, as well, settling back beside her. As the fruity liquid slid down his throat, he heard her sigh. It was a habit she had, he knew, and over the past year, he'd almost been able to catalog them. This sigh, it seemed, held a tinge of regret.

"Everything okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, just thinking about last night. Did you know Conrad's brother is a judge on the California Supreme Court?"

"No, I didn't," Auggie said.

"Well, he is," Annie said with a frown. "He's actually in town for business, and I guess he and Conrad don't get along too well. They spent the entire night arguing and bantering like teenagers."

Annie took a long drink of her wine, emptying the glass and setting it back in the carafe tray on the table. "After introducing me to his brother, all Conrad did was talk to him. I'm not even sure why he wanted me there. Wait, yes I do. Arm candy."

Auggie frowned at her summation of their date, but held his tongue.

"I mean, we're supposed to be together, right? But we hardly ever see each other, what with him getting sent off by Arthur, and Joan sending me off every other day. And the one weekend where we're both free, and I have to be put up on a pedestal for his overbearing family."

Auggie's fingers clenched slightly around his glass. He loosened them before the glass broke and downed the liquor, grabbing the bottle and pouring himself another glass. He knew she expected him to say something, but he couldn't bring himself to say what was on his mind right then.

His halted movements caught Annie's attention, and she watched as he leaned on his elbows, swirling the wine around in his glass. "Auggie?"

"Are you happy, Annie?"

"Wha—what kind of question is that?"

"A pretty simple one, if you think about it," Auggie replied.

"Well, I guess so, yeah."

It doesn't sound like it, Auggie thought. Then, downing the rest of his wine, he turned to her. Holding his hand out, he waited until she placed her fingers into his before covering it with his other. "That's all that matters, you know. Whatever you do, at the end of the day, if you're happy, then it's all worth it."

Auggie's strong, sensitive fingers and the sincerity of his words and expression caused Annie's breath to catch in her throat, and she swallowed to clear the lump. Opening her mouth to reply, she found she had no words in response. Instead, she slid closer a few inches and wrapped her arms around his shoulders and buried her face in his neck.

Holding back the groan that her sudden embrace caused to rumble in his chest, Auggie returned her embrace with a light one of his own, caressing her shoulder through the cotton material of her dress.

"Don't think by hugging me, you get out of popcorn duty," Auggie said. Her answering laugh was half hidden into the collar of his shirt, and he smiled. Yeah, he thought, even if this was all he ever got from Annie, he'd gladly take it.

Chapter 3

"Okay, open up," Annie said, closing one eye to improve her aim. And, with one swift movement, she lobbed the piece of popcorn at Auggie's open mouth. It bounced off his chin, and she quickly grabbed another piece. "Uh-uh, we each get three tries, remember?"

And so, trying to keep her aim steady, which wasn't easy given the half bottle of wine she'd drank – Auggie had taken care of the other half – Annie once more lobbed her piece of popcorn toward Auggie, cheering when it landed directly onto his tongue.

"And that's 21! She shoots, she scores!" Annie shouted, doing her own little victory dance in her seat.

"Yeah, right," Auggie said, chewing on the popcorn in his mouth. "Can't see how it's fair playing this type of game against a blind man. 'Sides, I think you were moving."

Annie's mouth dropped open at his accusation. Picking a piece of popcorn off of the couch, she aimed it at him, and laughed when it slid down the open neck of his shirt. "I – do – not – cheat," she said, tossing a few more popcorn kernels at him with each word.

"Okay, okay," Auggie said, raising his hands in the air in surrender. When no more kernels came hurtling his way, he opened his hand and lobbed the one he had hidden in his fingers at her, hitting her square on the forehead.

And so started the popcorn war, with each aggressor hurriedly shooting whatever popcorn pieces he or she could get their hands on until the popcorn bowl was empty, and they were laughing so hard, they had to eventually stop to catch their breath.

Annie was picking a piece of popcorn out of her hair when she looked around the room. "Oh, no."

"What's wrong?" Auggie asked, trying and finally succeeding at retrieving the piece of popcorn down his shirt.

"We've made quite a mess," Annie said, dropping the pieces into her popcorn bowl between them.

"We?" Auggie asked. "You were the one trying to drown me in butter and salt. But I guess we should clean up. Don't want to be treading on pieces barefoot."

"You stay there," Annie said, standing up and retrieving a broom from the closet. "I'll get them."

Auggie swept his hand along the couch, gathering up the pieces and dropped them into the bowl. As he was done, he placed the bowl onto the table. "Tell me, Annie, what do you charge for housekeeping duty?"

She didn't answer, only scoffed, so Auggie continued, "I'm serious. My current one isn't too reliable, and besides, I wouldn't mind you strutting around the place in one of those little French maid's outfits."

Annie stopped sweeping and looked over at Auggie who was smiling at her, nearly laughing, and – oh, man, did he just wink at her?

"Huh, what difference would it make?" she replied. "I could be wearing sweatpants and a hoodie right now, for all you know."

"Fine, then," Auggie said, "Clean my apartment naked, if that's what you want."

Annie's mouth dropped open at his words, and she dropped the broom.

The clattering and ensuing silence caught Auggie, and his smiled faded. He'd gone too far, he thought. Standing, he was about to apologize when a loud laughing filled the room. He soon joined in, and it continued for a long minute until they both had to stop and catch their breaths.

Auggie held his hand out to help her up, and Annie accepted it. As soon as her fingers hit his palm, he grasped, pulling her off her feet in one movement. The action was so fast, Annie had to catch herself on his shoulders as she was pulled to her feet.

"Auggie, what are –" She stopped talking as Auggie's hands, in a decidedly non-sexual way, patted her down from shoulders to hips.

"Sweats and a hoodie, huh?" Auggie asked, taking a step back from her.

Knowing she'd been had, Annie pushed at his chest, "Cheating again, huh?"

"Hey, just using what's available. You know when one sense is gone, the others take its place."

Annie picked the broom back up and resumed cleaning up, a small smile still on her face as his last words rang through her mind. And, she thought, what a lot more he has to take its place. Given how handsome, flirtatious and charming Auggie was now, she couldn't imagine what he was like prior to Tikrit.

Once the popcorn was cleared from the floor, the couch and themselves, both dropped down onto the sofa, and Annie asked him about it.

"What are you talking about?" Auggie asked.

"Well, I was just wondering," Annie said, leaning her arm against the back of the couch. "You're so smooth with the ladies now, less one of the five main senses, how much of a devastating heartbreaker were you in the past?"

"And I'm not now?" Auggie asked, wondering exactly where she was going with this line of questioning.

"Oh, you are now, believe me," Annie said.

Auggie's ego took a well-placed boost, and he fought the urge to blush. "You really think so?"

"Oh, come on, Auggie," Annie said, stretching her arms over her head. "You don't need me to tell you how sexy you are."

A few weeks ago, Auggie would have joked at her words, but now he felt such a surge of energy and unbidden thoughts that included stretching Annie along the length of his couch, him on top of her, he could think of nothing else.

"Uhh – if you'll excuse me?" he said, standing and walking out of the living room to the bathroom.

Annie watched him walk away, noticing, not for the first time, how well his shirt fit across his shoulders and the leanness of his hips, even beneath the loose fit of his slacks. She put her lascivious thoughts of her best friend down to the amount of alcohol they'd both ingested and took a deep breath, enjoying the feeling.

A buzzing from her purse pulled her out of her thoughts, and she reached for it, pulling her cell out of her phone. The caller ID showed Conrad, and she answered.

"Hey, baby, how are you?"

"Annie, is that you?"

Giggling a bit, Annie answered, "Of course it is. You called my cellphone."

"Are you drunk?"

"Just a bit."

"Okay," Conrad said slowly. "Tomorrow, we're having brunch with James."

Annie frowned. Did he even think to ask her to such events, instead of informing her where he expected her to be? "Sounds great. Formal wear again?"

She heard Conrad laugh a bit. "No, of course not, Annie. Meet us at Birkens restaurant at 10."

"Bye, then."

"Bye."

Given how late it was now, Annie slid her feet back into her shoes and began to gather her belongings.

By the time she was done, Auggie was returning to the living room. The sound of her shoes now on the floor instead of brae feet showed she was done for the night. "You're leaving?"

"Yeah, got plans for the morning and have to get some sleep. I had a great time. As usual."

Auggie walked over to the tv and retrieved the movie they'd been watching. "Don't forget your DVD."

"Tell you what," Annie said, "I'll leave it here, and we can do this again another day."

"Sounds great," Auggie said, smiling broadly.

Watching him replace the disk back into the clamshell case and set it on the bookcase, Annie thought, now, this is how a date is supposed to go. A good movie, good time, a good laugh. Too bad Auggie isn't her boyfriend, she thought.

Too bad.

As the sudden thought crossed her mind, she walked up to him, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Thanks for the movie, Auggie. I really appreciate it."

"No problem," Auggie replied, his arms enclosing around her, as well. He closed his eyes and allowed himself to enjoy her nearness, and as subtly as he could, inhaled deeply, capturing her scent, the wine, and the popcorn.

Leaning back in the embrace, Annie's eyes fluttered open, taking in the closeness of his face to hers. Then, before she lost her nerve, Annie leaned forward a bit and pressed her lips to his.

"Good night, Auggie."

Walking from her car to the restaurant the next morning, a smile was still on Annie's lips from the night before. She still couldn't believe she kissed Auggie, even though it was the same type of kiss she'd bestowed upon family members.

They'd had such a good time together, and it was exactly what she needed, a good night out with a friend. Why couldn't every day end that way?

"Annie, right on time," Conrad said, standing up from the table as she neared. Annie saw James was already seated, and she smiled at the man, who nodded.

"We've already ordered. You still prefer eggs and toast, correct?" Conrad said, pushing in her chair as she sat down.

"That's perfect, thanks," Annie said, reaching for the juice glass in front of her.

"So, Miss Walker," James said, "Connie here has been telling me all about you. I hope that at least some of it is true."

"That depends on what he's told you," Annie said, laughing.

"Jim, come on, you know I never lie. Annie's beautiful, of course, but her talent and intelligence are above the norm, as well," Conrad said.

Close to blushing, Annie dropped her eyes down to her plate as Conrad began to extol her virtues. She tried to tune him out, but as words of vows, babies and lifetime began to filter into her head, she lifted her head again.

James was beaming at her, and Conrad was still talking. "Yes, Jim, I'm happy to say that, if you visit again this time next year, you'll be talking to a married man."

"I – I'm sorry, but what?" Annie flustered out.

"Oh, Annie, I must apologize. I was hoping to do this in a more private setting, of course, and I don't have the ring on me, but I think it's time we move on to the next eventual step."

Annie's mouth moved up and down, but no actual words came out, as her eyes flitted from Conrad, to James, to where her hands were on the table, Conrad's covering them. She rather looked like a fish out of water, so she shut her eyes and took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry, but what exactly are you talking about?" she said, finally.

"Come on, my dear," James said. "I know it's not the most romantic of proposals, but sharing this information with family is much more important than flights of fancy, don't you think?"

Annie pulled her hands off the table and out of Conrad's before standing up. "No, I'm sorry you got the wrong impression," she said with as much dignity she could muster, given she felt the need to scream right now. "But as we've only been dating six months, and not even all that seriously, I do not agree to marry you. In fact, I'm not even sure I want to be your girlfriend anymore."

Giving herself a pat on the back for not losing her temper, Annie turned and began walking back to her car. She'd only gotten halfway there, though, before she heard footsteps behind her. A hand grabbed her arm, and she was halted.

"What are you doing, embarrassing me like that?" Conrad said, pulling her to a stop.

"Embarrassing you?" Annie said, flabbergasted. "You're the one offering marriage like it was a business deal."

"Annie, sweetheart, come back to the table. We can work this out."

"No, Conrad," Annie said, extricating her arm from his grasp. "This is good-bye."

She'd gotten to where she parked her car and decided to keep on walking. She was several blocks further down the road when her bravado started to wear off, and she felt a prick of tears in her eyes.

She blinked them back hastily, and with a few deep breaths was able to swallow down the sadness that had bubbled up. Looking around, she halfway recognized where her feet had taken her. Auggie's neighborhood.

And, across the street, his apartment building. Her eyes immediately went to the darkened second floor windows. Was he home?

Chapter 4

Auggie walked along the sidewalk, cane tapping rhythmically, feet taking measured, precise steps. He was counting, of course, but he'd walked to the corner bakery so many times, he could probably do this in his sleep and still make it home okay.

Besides, another train of thought had taken up residence in his brain. One that had long hair, smelled of grapefruit, and had killer aim – at least when it came to hurling popcorn into his mouth. Given the fact that she'd done it while drunk only added to the remarkable feat. He and Annie hadn't had a night together like that for a long time, and even though she was seeing Conrad now, and he was taking up most of her nights, maybe they'd be able to do it again.

He knew it'd be a bit difficult, given his growing attraction to her, but there was really no way he could cut her out of his life because of it. He had enough self-control and discipline to accept only what she gave him. He just hoped Conrad treated her well and appreciated having her in his life.

He reached the corner and tapped his way around. Only three buildings until his, and he'd be home, free to settle into his Sunday routine of listening to the news and eating a flaky, freshly made croissant.

She heard him before she saw him, of course. Annie had sat down on the steps leading up to his building's front door, pondering what to do when the tap-tapping approached. She'd almost come to the decision to leave, go back to her car and go back home and have a good cry. But now, he was steadily approaching, and given how good his hearing was, there's no way she'd be able to sneak away without him hearing.

Her mind spun with reasons to tell him why she was here, sitting on his stoop, on a Sunday morning. No lie sounded feasible enough, though, and soon she ran out of time as he came within a few feet.

"Hi, Auggie," she said with as much calm she could muster. Maybe she could go with the 'I was just in your neighborhood' excuse?

The swish of fabric and soft voice startled Auggie a bit, and just to be sure, he gave a quick, silent inhale. "Annie?"

"Yeah. Umm, good morning."

Auggie took the final few steps up to her, his cane hitting the bottom stair. From the sound of her voice, she was sitting on the steps. "Good morning," he said, not quite knowing what to say next. They'd bantered and joked and jibed easily last night, but he knew the wine might have had something to do with it. His slightly pounding hangover was testament enough to that.

He just stood there, looking down in her direction and leaning on his cane, and Annie begged for him to say something, anything. The air began to grow slightly with the tension, and Annie started looking around for any excuse for a retreat. Her eyes landed on the paper bag dangling from his fingers.

"Did you buy donuts?" she asked.

Okay, Auggie thought. Not what he was expecting her to say, but he'll go along with it. "No, actually, croissants. Sort of a Sunday tradition. Would you –" He really couldn't believe he was allowing himself to do this. "I bought six. Would you like to join me?"

"Ohh," Annie said, thinking of her still-empty stomach and her abandoned brunch back at the restaurant. "Well, you see –"

"You've already eaten, right?"

"No, I –" Annie clapped her mouth shut and took a deep breath, willing herself to calm down. It's okay, she told herself. You can go home in a little bit and indulge in your cry for a lost love. She could hold it together until then. "I haven't, actually. I'd love to join you."

He smiled wide at her answer and cocked his elbow out for her to take. "Before we get to my place, I call dibs on the chocolate one."

"Aww, no fair," Annie said. "Can't we share it?"

"We'll see," Auggie replied, and together they ascended the single flight of stairs to his apartment. As she stepped, he wondered at her reason for being there in the first place. In good, CIA trained style, he took note of what she was wearing and her demeanor. She had on heels, stilettos again, given the clicking and her height as her shoulder brushed against his. The swish of fabric denoted a dress or at least a skirt. Okay, he thought. She was dressed up, but unless she suddenly decided to attend the church a few blocks away and walk home via his apartment stoop, he couldn't fathom why she was there.

They'd gotten to his door, and Annie's tension slowly began melting. She had to fight the urge to lay her head on his shoulder and sob. He'd always had that effect on her, ever since the first day they met. He reminded her of her teddy bear she had as a child, the one she could cuddle up to and tell all her secrets, knowing he'd never laugh at her or make fun.

"Coffee?" Auggie said, as they walked in. She mumbled what seemed to be a yes, so he crossed the room to the kitchen counter, pressing the start button on his automatic coffeemaker. "It'll just be a few minutes."

He pulled down a plate from the cupboard and laid the croissants on it. She still hadn't said anything, and he heard her cross the room, as well, and perch on one of the high chairs at the end of his kitchen island.

"Hey, Annie?"

"Hmm?"

He really didn't want to pry, really he didn't, but his patience was running out, and he was really afraid that something was wrong. So he asked. "Is everything all right?"

"Yeah, sure," Annie said, wishing she could lie to him as well as she did her marks when she was on a mission. For Auggie could tell better than anyone whether you were bullshitting him or not. And a quick look up at his face as she reached for one of the pastries showed her that he wasn't buying it. His head was tilted, and his eyes were slightly hooded, as if he were gauging the truthfulness of her two-word answer.

She took a deep breath and shook her head. "No, everything's not all right, but I don't want to bother you with it. Let's just have our pastry and coffee, and I'll get out of your hair."

Seriously, Auggie thought, did she think that he'd accept that? He could tell by the tone of her voice that she was upset, both here and when she'd greeted him on his steps. But he'd let her have it for now. The coffeemaker beeped its readiness, and he pulled the carafe out, setting it on a tray with two cups, creamer and sugar. He balanced it on one hand, while grabbing the plate of croissants and walked over to the couch.

He set both on the table and sat down, patting the seat next to him. Once she'd joined him, he poured them both a cup of coffee and prepared hers just the way she liked it, a bit of both the sweetener and creamer, and handed it to her. He'd finished stirring his own and had taken the first drink when he heard it.

A small sob to his right, so soft he wasn't quite sure, but when another came on its heels, he set his coffee cup back on the tray and sat back. Turning toward her, he held his arms open.

One second, then two. On the third beat, he heard the clattering of a cup hitting the table, and then she was in his arms, face pressed against his shoulder and arms around his back and waist. He settled his hands on her back, and lightly ran his hands up and down, soothing her as she sobbed.

Hot tears dampened his shirt, and he let her cry. It ached his own heart to see her so distraught, and he held his tongue to beg her to tell him what was wrong. She'd talk soon, he hoped. What she needed now was to let it all out.

After a few minutes, the tears had ceased to flow, and her sobs diminished into a few deep breaths. She stayed close to him, though, laying her cheek against his shoulder. He raised his hand to her face and brushed her long hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ear.

"Tell me, Annie, what's wrong?" he asked, gently but with some emphasis.

"You – you know how I take my coffee," Annie choked out, half-laughing. Auggie's mind reeled as to how that's the cause of her waterworks, but she kept talking, so he listened.

"Conrad never knew. He had to ask, every time. I mean, how hard is it to remember one sugar and one creamer?"

"Annie, what –"

"And the movie. I'd dropped enough hints to him around my birthday last month that I'd wanted 'The Court Jester,' but what did he get me? A gift card for Victoria's Secret. And then Friday night, after spending a couple of hours getting ready for this big, formal night out, I wind up sitting at a table listening to him and his brother talk about the legal system."

Auggie opened his mouth again to ask her what she was talking about, but she was on a roll.

"This morning, I thought – well, I thought maybe we'd spend the day together, and he invited me out to brunch. But no, James was there, too, and I sat there drinking my juice while they planned my wedding."

This time, Auggie couldn't stay silent any longer. "Annie, what are you talking about?" he asked, lifting her off his shoulder and placing his hands on hers.

"Conrad proposed."

The emotions Annie saw flit across his face were quick, but she caught all of them. Disbelief, wonder, anger, hurt. She suddenly wanted to suck the air that caused the words to fall from her mouth back in. But she couldn't. They were there, in the open.

"Conrad asked you to marry him?" Auggie said slowly, almost deliberately, as if he couldn't quite believe the words as he spoke them.

Annie shook her head, almost giving in to a chuckle that bubbled up in her. "Not exactly. He pretty much told his brother he'd be married by next year, and guess who gets to be the bride?"

"Conrad proposed to you this morning?"

"Well, yeah, Auggie, aren't you listening?"

Releasing her shoulders, Auggie sat back, lifting his hands to his face and rubbing his eyes. "I'm assuming you turned him down."

"Of course I did. Walked right away from him and his brother, who's as pompous and obnoxious as he is."

"And came here."

"Well, not on purpose," Annie said, reaching out toward him. Her hands met with air, though, as Auggie stood suddenly and started pacing the room. "The restaurants a few blocks from here. I was heading to my car, but decided to take a walk. I was upset, and – well, I realized I was in your neighborhood, and –"

"And what, Annie?" Auggie said, stopping and turning towards her. "What'd you expect me to do, wave my magic wand and make it all better?"

Annie shrank back from his harsh words. "No, of course not. I didn't even want to come up here, and I was going to leave, but then you walked down the street, and I thought –"

Standing, Annie walked over to him. "I didn't want to tell you, considering how bad you took the news that we were dating."

"I took the news bad because you'd been dating for six months and didn't even tell me," Auggie said.

"Why are you yelling at me?" Annie said, stepping back from him.

"I'm not –" Auggie started, then realizing his voice was louder than normal, adjusted his tone. "I'm not mad at you, Annie. Really, I'm not. This is just a lot to take in all at once, you know."

"I know, and I'm sorry I didn't tell you before," Annie said, approaching him once again. She put a cautious hand on his shoulder, and as he turned toward her, she wrapped her arms around his waist. After a second, she felt his arms enclose hers, and she closed her eyes, reveling in the warm embrace.

"I've got to be the worst best friend in the world," she said, laying her head on his shoulder. "Why do you put up with me?"

Because sometimes, like now, you let me so close to you, I can pretend, if only for a minute, Auggie thought. Instead, he said, "I could ask you the same thing."

Her shoulder shook a little as she laughed, and he smiled, pressing a kiss into her hair. "Really, Annie, tell me. Why did you turn down the chance to be Mrs. Conrad Sheehan, CIA superagent? He couldn't have been all that bad."

Pulling herself away from his chest, Annie looked up into his face, her hands at his waist. "Because he –" wasn't you, her mind finished. The sudden, glorious, happy, terrifying thought shook her to the core, and she gasped, her fingers clutching the material of his shirt. He looked at her – though his eyes focused on her chin – with the kind of soft patience and acceptance she'd always seen in him.

"Because he –" would never lower himself to partake in a popcorn war or bring me soup when I'm sick.

"Because he what, Annie?" Auggie asked, laying his hands on her shoulders.

Just tell him, her mind screamed at her. Tell Auggie the reason she couldn't envision herself growing old with Conrad was because, in her dreams, he'd already been placed there. But she didn't. She couldn't. She knew she should step back, pull herself out of his embrace, drink her coffee, eat her croissant and go home.

But her body betrayed her. Her feet remained firmly planted in place. Her fingers refused to let go of his shirt, and her eyes and lips were focused solely on his mouth. Before she knew what she was doing, her feet had taken the step forward, her arms had clenched, bringing their chests together. And her neck had bent up and to the side, adjusting to the perfect angle to press her lips firmly against his.

Expecting to hear her words, Auggie nearly jumped out of his skin when she stepped up against him and her lips touched his. The kiss the night before was sweet, but chaste, and he'd accepted the fact it was out of friendship. This, however, held a note of passion, of desire, and given how his own feelings for her had been lingering just under the surface for days now, he latched onto her, his fingers curling into her shoulders, almost bruising her soft skin.

The movement caused a slight moan to escape her lips, and he immediately released the pressure, sliding his fingers up to her jaw to angle her head further to the side as his mouth opened over hers, his tongue sweeping along her lower lip with such insistence, that Annie had no choice but to part her lips. Once granted access, the sweetness of her taste, though mingled with the coffee, set Auggie alight.

The hesitant return of her mouth moving under his, of her tongue lightly touching his, caressing his, and this time, it was Auggie's turn to moan as she wrapped her arms around his back and stood further on tiptoe to deepen the kiss. The movement of her chest against his further built his desire, which given their close proximity, caused the heat to build between both their bodies.

Further, with more and more persistence, Auggie deepened the kiss, his actions on auto pilot as he gave in to his desire to taste every inch of her mouth, to know every corner of her body. Her equal response, though, nearly brought him to his knees, and as she ran her tongue along his teeth, across his lower lip. He released her jaw to run one hand further toward the back of her head, fingers clenching into her hair. His other arm went to her waist, feeling the waistband of her skirt and her blouse tucked in.

Quickly, his fingers pulled at the material until it became loose, and his hand dived in, feeling her warm, soft skin of her lower back, His arm flexed, bringing further against him before sliding up, encountering the narrow band of elastic and lace. He ran his fingers under it, gauging the proximity of the clasp when Annie suddenly pulled away from him.

The suddenness of her actions nearly left him stumbling, grasping out for her. "Annie, what –"

"Oh, God, I'm sorry," Annie said, her hand flying her mouth, her fingers touching the hotness, the bruising of her lips. "I'm so sorry, Auggie. I didn't mean to grab you like that. It's just, you – we – oh, no."

Turning on her heel, Annie ran as fast as her three-inch stilettos could take her, to the door.

He'd only just began to comprehend that Annie was apologizing for kissing him, for grabbing him, and now she was running away. "Annie, no, wait!"

Before he could reach her, his door had slid open, and she was through it. It had almost slammed shut on his hand before he was able to grasp the handle and slide it back open again. By that time, her heels were clattering down the stairs, and his apartment's front door had opened. "Annie, come back!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the empty hall.

Chapter 5

Auggie's hand clenched on his door as he contemplated whether or not to run after her. He couldn't, he knew. She was off at a dead run, and he knew how fast she was. Damn it, he thought, slamming his door shut. He stalked across the room, slamming his hands down onto the granite island top.

What was he going to do now? He could still smell her on him, could feel her against his lips. In those few seconds, his fantasy – no, his dream had come true. She'd turned to him. She always turned to him, always cried on his shoulder and asked him for advice. He'd taken her at her word that she hadn't wanted to date within the agency and kept his distance.

But now – now everything had changed, all within the space of a few days. He'd found out Annie had been seeing the blonde bomber from the seventh floor, who then proposed to her. And, instead of running home to cry in her pillow after she turned him down, or lean on her sister for support, she'd come to him. Her buddy. Her best friend, Auggie.

He shouldn't have grabbed her like that, he knew, shouldn't have tried to divest her of her clothes in what was, essentially, their first kiss. But it'd been a year – a very long year – that he'd been wanting to do just that.

And she'd made the first move, something he hadn't expected, hadn't even anticipated, even when she was crying over her lost love. But she did, and it spurned him into action.

He couldn't let it just lay like that, couldn't just walk back into work tomorrow and pretend nothing had happened between them. He needed answers. He needed her. Grabbing his phone, he began punching in numbers.

15 minutes later, his fingers were clenched white around the phone, and he fought an urge to throw the device against the wall. His car service wasn't available Sundays, the local cab company couldn't get someone out here for at least an hour, and the few friends he'd leaned on for rides weren't available.

He gave a hollow laugh as he realized that the one person he could always count on for a ride was the one person he couldn't call. Annie. He thought about just calling her, but what he needed to say couldn't be said over the phone. It had to be in person. He had to hear her, feel her, let her see how sincere he was.

But first thing's first. He needed to get there. Taking a deep breath, he dialed the one number he had left, though he wished he didn't have to. The phone rang several times, and Auggie was nearly ready to scream when a familiar voice answered.

"Jai, it's Auggie. I need to ask a favor."

"Anderson, you better have a good excuse as to why I dragged my ass out of bed to give you a ride somewhere," Jai said, shifting his car into gear. "First off, where am I taking you?"

"Annie's house," Auggie answered, clicking his seatbelt into place.

"Why am I driving you to Annie's place? Couldn't she just come and get you?"

"It's a long story, Jai. Annie's place is ten minutes from here. I can explain it to you in five. Now, will you just please, hurry?" Auggie said.

"Talk fast."

Five minutes later, Jai was whistling through his teeth. "Conrad Sheehan? How the hell did he get his hooks into our girl?"

"Our girl?" Auggie asked, perplexed.

"Yeah, Anderson, our girl. So, she's been seeing Conrad, he proposed, she turned him down. Got all that, but you still haven't explained why you need a ride to her place on a Sunday morning."

"She came to my place today, after she turned him down. Apparently, it was at some restaurant in my neighborhood," Auggie said. "She was upset, she cried on my shoulder, and well –"

"Spit it out, Auggie."

"She kissed me, all right?" Auggie said.

Jai's hands nearly slipped on the steering wheel. "Why'd she do that?"

"I don't know, maybe she likes me or something?" Auggie smirked. "But she ran, and I didn't want to leave things like that between us."

"Never thought I'd see the day," Jai said, chuckling. "August Anderson running after a girl."

"Zip it, Wilcox."

"Never," Jai said. "Tell me, though, why haven't you made a play for her yourself already? You do know half the agency thinks you're together, right?"

"I'm aware of the gossip, but Annie told me last fall, after Ben, she refused to date anyone in the agency ever again. She soon rethought that decision, and Conrad slid right in. What about you?"

Jai scoffed. "Surprised she's still talking to me after she found out I was Ben's handler and was told to get cozy with her by Arthur. Anyway, we're here."

Auggie hurriedly unclipped his seatbelt and reached for the door handle.

"Wait, hold on," Jai said.

"Jesus, Jai, I'm not going to wait any longer, I've got to –"

Jai reached out and grabbed the man's arm. "Conrad's here."

"What?"

"He's parked in front of her house. I'm across the street. God, that's the ugliest bunch of flowers I've ever seen. Where'd he get them, a convenience store?"

"I'm going out there," Auggie said, reaching for his door handle again.

"Let Annie handle it," Jai said, pulling Auggie's arm again.

Auggie shook loose of Jai's grip. "Okay, just, tell me what's happening."

"He's knocked on her door. She's answered. She's wearing a t-shirt and yoga pants. He's asked to come in, taking a step forward. She shakes her head no, steps out, shuts the door," Jai said, watching the drama unfold in front of him.

"She's got her arms folded. They're talking. He hands her the flowers. She takes them. She's smiling. Don't see how she can, seeing as he spent maybe ten bucks on them. Okay, he's taking something out of his pocket. Holy crap, he's kneeling down."

"What?" Auggie shouted, grabbing for Jai's arm. "What's happening? Can you hear them? Roll down the window or something!"

Jai quickly dropped the window, but their talking had ceased. "What's happening?" Auggie said, leaning across the seat console.

"Would you get off –" Jai said, pushing back against Auggie who'd crowded onto his shoulder. Their jostling ceased, though, at the sound of a smack coming across the street.

"Day-umm," Jai said slowly, not quite believing what he just saw.

"What?" Auggie said, too afraid to hear the answer.

"Annie just hit Conrad, smacked him right across the face."

"No shit?" Auggie said.

"Yeah, she's dropped his flowers and went back in the house. Conrad's running back to his car, and he's leaving."

"Wow," Auggie said. "I'm going over there."

Jai was still staring out the window when Auggie had opened the door and gotten out, unfolding his cane as he walked around the car and made it across the road. "Auggie, wait!"

He'd caught up to him as Auggie stepped up to the door and knocked. Grabbing his arm, he yanked him back. "What do you think you're doing?"

Auggie's answered was stifled by Annie's voice on the other side of the door. "Conrad, if you don't leave, I'm calling the police!"

Jai pulled back on Auggie's arm again, "Annie, it's not Conrad!"

Slowly the door opened again, and Annie's mouth dropped open at the sight in front of her. Auggie stood there, tugging against Jai's hand that was wrapped tightly around his arm. "What are you two doing here?"

Auggie ceased pulling on Jai's arm and turned to Annie, finding himself speechless. He'd spent the past hour trying to get here, he'd forgotten what he wanted to say.

Jai looked between the two people, suddenly feeling like a fifth wheel. The easy camaraderie he'd seen between his co-workers seemed to have ramped up to the nth degree.

Annie stared at Auggie as if he were an oasis in the desert. Auggie seemed to have turned into a statue. "Anderson, remember, you pulled me out of my warm bed on a Sunday morning to bring you here. Were you going to say something?"

Annie took half a step forward. "You called Jai?"

"I – needed a ride," Auggie said simply.

Jai rolled his eyes at his suddenly mute friend and opened his mouth to shake some sense into the man when Annie crossed the space between them, grabbed Auggie's shirt and pulled him down to her, planting a kiss on his lips.

Immediately releasing Auggie's arm, Jai stepped back, watching the embracing couple in front of him. They both seemed to have forgotten he was there, and he took his leave and headed back to his car.

Auggie barely registered Jai's leaving as Annie's fingers spread flat against his chest, and her soft lips moved over his. His hands fell to her waist. Though unexpected, he kept enough of his wits about him to not push, not grab her as he had before. He let her take control.

Too soon, though, she released him, her lips leaving his as she stepped back. Her hands came down to his arms, sliding along until they came to his wrists. Auggie let go of her and clasped his hands in hers. "Annie, about before –"

"Shh, it's okay," Annie said. "Everything's okay now."

"But you ran."

"I know, and I'm sorry," Annie said, squeezing his fingers. "I just – I had no idea if you felt the same way, or if you took it as some sort of rebound thing, or – I don't know. I'm no good at this, Auggie."

Dropping his head down, Auggie ran his fingers along her palms, searching for something – anything to say to her. He noticed that the skin of her right hand was slightly warmer than the left. Pulling it up to his face, he pressed a kiss into the soft skin. "Did you really smack Conrad?"

"You guys saw that, huh?"

"We were parked across the road. Jai saw it. I heard it. It was pretty loud."

Her hand still cradled against his jaw and lips, Annie said, "You wouldn't believe what he said to me."

"Try me."

"First, he apologized and gave me the flowers. He looked so sincere, I was ready to forgive him, really. I wasn't about to take him back, but I didn't want to hate him, either."

Auggie nodded, and she continued, "And then he pulled out this jeweler's box and kneels down. He said, 'Come on, Annie. I'm not a romantic, and you know that. We're the same. Just imagine how beautiful our kids would be.' And then he starts in about our line of work, and given how everyone knew what happened to me and Ben, what other prospects could I possible have for love? And – and that's when I slapped him."

Auggie listened as she recounted the scene, and when she'd finished, his shoulders began to shake in silent laughter.A chuckle escaped his lips, and Annie squeezed at his fingers in hers.

"It's not funny," she said, trying not to laugh herself.

"Oh, come away with me, Miss Walker," he said in his best Bogart impression. "We can make beautiful babies together."

Annie pulled her hands out of his, laughing as she slapped at his chest. "Yeah, in terms of a proposal of marriage, it was pretty bad."

"Not how I'd do it, that's for sure," Auggie said. Then, remembering what she said before, he said, "Annie, I'm not here 'cause you broke up with Conrad and I see my chance with you now. You know that, right?"

"I guess, but if you just wanted to make sure I was okay, you could have called."

"I thought of it," Auggie said, nodding. "But Annie, I've been waiting and biding my time for a year now, waiting for you to turn to me. And when you did, I couldn't believe it. I'm sorry for grabbing you like that, and you're right, you need time. Hell, I've waited this long, right? What's a few more days?"

Taking a couple of steps back, he said, "Guess Jai's already left, huh? I'll call a cab. See you at work tomorrow?"

Annie watched him walk down her driveway to the sidwalk. What he'd just said still rang through her ears. Did he just say he'd been wanting her for a year? That'd be as long as they knew each other. Why didn't he say something before? A quick montage of their past ran through her mind as she watched him pull his phone out of his pocket and start punching numbers into it. Their first day, she'd poured her heart out about her lost love, saying she'd never get burned again like that.

Then, Ben returning and dying in her arms. Then the damn proclamation she'd made about not dating anyone in the agency ever again. He never had a chance, she thought. She'd put up barricades at every turn, and yet, he stayed. He remained with her, by her side, on her team, holding her hand.

Every other guy in her life had abandoned her in one way or another, but Auggie hadn't. He always been there, always came back. Hell, he'd dragged Jai out of bed on a Sunday morning 'cause he needed to make sure she was okay.

And here she was, allowing him to walk away from her. "Auggie!"

Granted, his heart was pounding out of his chest as he walked away, but even as the cab company finally answered, and he was giving them directions, he could have sworn his heart stopped at her voice.

"Yeah?"

Annie walked down to where he stood and took the phone out of his hand, ending the call. "You don't have to call a cab. I can drive you home."

"You sure?"

"Yes, I am. Besides, you promised me a croissant, and I haven't eaten yet," she said. "Before all of you showed up, I was planning on eating a quart of ice cream and watching a chick flick."

Auggie smiled, "Tell you what, I don't have any chick flicks, but I'll let you have half the chocolate croissant."

"Only half?" Annie asked with a pout, running a finger down his chest.

"Well, I might be persuaded to let you have the whole thing," Auggie said, her touch leaving behind a trail of fire on his skin.

"I'd have to persuade you?" Annie asked, taking a step forward and leaning her head back to look up at his face. "Is there anything I could say now to make you change your mind?"

"Just tell me this is real, Annie. I'm not sure I can take you running away from me again."

"It's real. It's always been real, I just never realized it," Annie whispered.

"So if I kiss you now, you won't pull away?"

"No," Annie said, rising up on tiptoe to meet him halfway.

THE END


	15. Starbucks

Title: Starbucks and Starry Eyes

Category: TV Shows » Covert Affairs

Author: Beth - Geek Chick

Language: English, Rating: Rated: T

Genre: Romance/Humor

Published: 04-24-11, Updated: 05-15-11

Chapters: 4, Words: 7,385

A/N Alternate Universe story

Chapter 1

Annie Walker walked into the Starbucks, laptop bag slung over her shoulder. After grabbing her normal order of a coffee frappuccino and a scone – whatever flavor that was special at the time – she took a seat in the mainly deserted extended dining area.

After taking a bite of the lemon-flavored pastry, she opened up her laptop and pulled up her e-mail. She had a couple of hours before she needed to make an appearance at the office, and she usually spent that time taking advantage of the coffee shop's free wifi. She glanced up every so often, wondering if he'd come in today.

He being the cute guy she'd seen here a few times. Okay, then, twice a week for the past six months, but who's counting? Annie was, in fact. She probably knew more about him than a relative stranger should have, but one thing she didn't know was how to gather up the courage to say something to him.

She knew what he drank. She knew what pastry he preferred. She knew he dressed well, but comfortably. She knew he took cabs to and from the Starbucks. One would drop him off, and after a half hour, he'd make a call to have another one pick him up. Another half hour later, he was gone.

She'd learned his name the first day she'd seen him, when he'd called for the cab to pick him up, and she felt herself almost begging that he'd speak his last name, as well.

His laptop, complete with some type of Braille reader, fascinated her, as did most everything else. The fact that he was blind was obvious from the first time she'd seen him walk through the doors, his white can tapping in front of him, and his soft brown eyes not really focused on anything.

A couple of times, she'd almost gathered up the nerve to talk to him, but he seemed so to be in his own world, that she couldn't bring herself to disturb him. Besides, at that point, she'd built up such a fantasy of him, that the reality would more than likely be a letdown.

The door opened again, and Annie smiled. There he was. She tried to keep her notice of him subdued and watched him out of the corner of her eye, but watch him, she did, and also listen. He had a smooth baritone voice, and the few times she heard him laugh, it warmed her to her soul. So she listened as he approached the counter and recited his normal order of a chai latte with an apple bran muffin.

Annie was mentally cataloging his voice when he heard an unfamiliar giggle and looked back up. The barista, a new one, as Annie had never seen her before, was openly flirting with him. No, Annie thought, she didn't.

Yes, she did, her eyes told her. Annie wasn't sure what the woman was doing, smiling and batting her eyes at him. Was she for real? He couldn't see her. And then, as Auggie handed her the bills, she saw the barista stroke his fingers as she accepted the payment, and then cup his hand as she placed the change into it. Auggie smiled politely and went to stand back to wait for his drink, but the barista didn't let go of his hand.

Annie watched as the woman pulled him closer to her by a few inches, never letting go of him, and began to whisper. Unfortunately, she was too far away to hear her, but by the shocked and uncomfortable look on Auggie's face, he wasn't accepting of the woman's blatant come-on attempt.

Then, seeing the girl run a finger down his cheek, Annie leapt to action. Setting her laptop down onto her seat, she plastered a smile on her face and walked up to the counter.

Auggie wasn't sure what this new barista's deal was, but her words definitely were offering her number and an offer to take him back to her place so she could cook for him. He tried not to listen and pulled as gentlemanly as he could out of her grasp. A long-nailed finger touched his cheek, and he grated his teeth.

Just as he was about to politely, but firmly decline the barista's offer, another hand touched his elbow, and his next inhale caught a new scent. Another woman. Was it the barista's friend? He'd never been double-teamed like this before, and he wasn't quite sure what to do. The new woman's words, though, shocked him a bit, and he quickly masked his disbelief.

"Honey, there you are. I thought you were going to come in later. I've got your seat saved for you, just next to me."

Auggie smiled as the barista's hand dropped his extremely fast, and he heard her feet clomping away. He muttered a quick thank you before taking a few steps away. His "girlfriend" kept hold of his elbow, and he felt her lean up close to him.

"Why don't you go have a seat? I'll pick up your order."

He nodded and made his way to his normal seat. Thankfully, nobody had snared it yet, and he settled himself into it. A few minutes later, his "girlfriend" arrived.

"Your drink is on the table to your left, as is your muffin," Annie said, setting the items on it before picking her laptop up off the chair and sitting back down. She glanced back up to him to find him staring in her direction, a look of surprise and wonder in his sightless eyes. Had she gone too far?

"I guess I should thank you for that?" Auggie said, trying to quell the laughter that bubbled up in his chest.

"If you'd like to, sure," Annie replied.

"Then, thank you, Miss –" Auggie said, extending his hand in her direction.

"Walker, Annie Walker," she said, sliding her fingers into his. At once warm and strong, a sudden thought of how those fingers would feel on other parts of her body came to her, and she cleared her throat, attempting to clear it.

"Annie. Seems only right that I'd know my girlfriend's first name, don't you think?" Auggie said, flashing a smile at her as their hands slid from each other's. He wasn't normally a tactile person, but the car wreck four years ago that robbed him of his sight caused that personality quirk to do a 180.

"It's usually a good practice," Annie said, laughing.

Light and airy, her laughter reminded him of a rainbow after a thunderstorm, and as it died down, he suddenly wanted to hear it again and again. He heard the click of a laptop opening and the clicking of her fingers on the keys.

"My name's Auggie," he offered, settling back in his chair and pulling his own laptop from his messenger bag.

"Yeah, I know," Annie replied, her eyes focused on the e-mail she was reading. She'd reached over to grab her coffee when she realized what she had done.

Auggie hesitated a moment while his laptop booted up. "You know? Have we met before? I think I would have remembered you."

Several half-brained lies flitted through Annie's mind, trying to cover up her gaffe, but she couldn't bring herself to voice any of them. Taking a deep breath, she hoped what she said next didn't completely paint her as a stalker.

"Umm, no, we haven't. I – please don't take this the wrong way, but I've seen you here before, a few times, and – umm – overheard you on the phone," Annie summarized her past six-month obsession.

"Is that right?" Auggie said.

"Yeah, and now I'll just sit here and die of embarrassment and let you get back to your work," Annie said.

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why are you embarrassed? I'm flattered, actually."

The fear she had before that her innocent Starbucks crush fantasy world she'd concocted melted away at his words, and she perked up immediately. Thinking her e-mail catching up could wait until later, she closed her laptop.

"So," Auggie said, reaching over to grab his chai, "since you seem to know more about me than I do about you, why don't you tell me about yourself?"

And so Annie began to talk, and over the course of the next hour, began to slowly fall for him. Her fantasy Auggie had nothing on the real thing, and she began to berate herself for not saying hello earlier. A glance down at her watch showed the time, and she realized she'd stayed longer than she had planned for.

"Oh, no, I hadn't realized what time it was," Annie moaned.

Auggie started and flipped open the case of his wristwatch, a quick feel on the raised dial showed he'd overstayed, as well. "Me, too. I have to meet my editor in 15 minutes. Damn it."

"And it usually takes a half an hour for your cab to get here," Annie noted.

Auggie smiled at her words. "Just how closely were you noticing me all these months, Annie?"

"Close enough," she said, glad her reddening cheeks were hidden from his view. "Would – would you like me to give you a ride?"

"I don't know," Auggie said in a teasing tone. "Wasn't one of the first lessons we're taught as children was not to accept rides from strangers?"

They were both standing at this point, near matching messenger bags slung across their respective shoulders. Annie took a step forward, her fingers touching his elbow in much the same way she did earlier.

"You're right, accepting rides from a stranger is dangerous and foolhardy. How about accepting one from your girlfriend?"

"Now, that I can do," Auggie said.

Chapter 2

Auggie Anderson opened the door to the Starbucks the next morning slightly earlier than his normal time. He didn't think it was that big of a deal, but his regular cab driver made a point of mentioning it when he picked him up earlier. Early and the wrong day. Yeah, he usually just came in on Tuesdays and Thursdays when he either checked in with his editor or attended previously arranged interviews.

He tried to tell himself that his change of habits shouldn't be that big of a deal. Everybody did it, right? Today he'd came in instead of staying home and working for one reason only.

When he and Annie had parted the previous morning, he didn't realize until a couple of hours later that they'd never exchanged contact information. A search of her name yielded no results, given the large city and numerous Walkers in the area.

He mentally kicked himself at the time, wondering where the confident and smooth man of years prior had gone. But, if he thought about it, since that fateful day that stole his sight, his new social acquaintances had been nil. His world suddenly shrunk, and he'd hung onto his current friends and family like a lifeline.

Any romances had been limited to the small group, and though he'd had a couple of short-term relationships, nothing lasted. He'd almost settled himself into a loveless future until yesterday.

And he'd been so out of the game, when she approached him and saved him from the amorous come-on of the over-friendly barista, he'd been taken by surprise. He ran through their conversation again in his head, making sure his assumption that she was interested in him wasn't just being friendly.

No, he was fairly certain her intentions were just as he assumed. She was definitely interested. And, he knew, she came in here every day, so, given the time, he had a bit of time to do the work he was supposed to be doing at home.

Annie Walker walked into the coffeeshop with a bit less enthusiasm than she had the day before. As she stood in line, her mind went back to this time yesterday, when she'd sat across from Auggie Anderson and talked over coffee. Her Starbucks crush had evolved into a full-fledged Starbucks hot guy that was as interested in her as she was in him.

They were in such a rush yesterday to get to their destinations – she'd dropped him off first – they hadn't exchanged information. Now it seemed she'd have to wait several days, until next Tuesday, before she could get his number. Yeah, she'd tried searching for him online, but her tech skills were limited to typing his name into Google. She hadn't gotten any concrete "hits," so she gave up, telling herself she'd see him soon enough, and to be patient.

It didn't help at all that the flirtatious barista was on duty again today, either. She tersely gave her normal order, giving the woman no hint of a smile.

"No need to give me the death look," the barista huffed at her. "Your boyfriend's already here."

"What?" Annie said.

Instead of answering, the barista rolled her eyes and pointed out into the dining area. Annie followed her manicured finger to see HIM, Auggie, sitting in his normal chair, his laptop on his legs and buds in his ears. Annie's heart thumped in her chest, and she whispered, "Auggie."

"Yeah, he got here about a half hour ago, asking if you were here yet," the barista mumbled. "Here's your drink."

"Thanks," Annie said, not bothering to look at the woman as she took the drink from her and walked across the room. Her eyes never left him - the longish, wavy brown locks that curled around his ears and across his forehead, the warm chocolate brown of his eyes that matched his scarf.

Setting her coffee down on the table that sat between his chair and hers, she bent over him, placing a warning hand on his wrist. As he jumped at the touch, she whispered, "Shh, the barista's watching," before brushing her lips across his cheek.

He might have noted Annie's scent prior to her approach, but in this atmosphere, the light citrus gets lost in the coffee. But the light touch on his hand, the soft voice and the sweetest of caresses across his cheek were more than enough of a hello.

"Then don't you think we should act the part?" he whispered back.

Annie froze to the spot at his husky whisper, which was a good thing because his face was turning, sliding, and her hello peck on his cheek turned into a full-fledged lip-on-lip kiss. It lasted only a few seconds, but forever ruined first kisses for Annie. How did he learn to do that, she thought. His lips were at the same time soft, persuasive, and open enough that Annie could feel his breath as he whispered her name, but he didn't try to taste her.

Too late, he pulled back again and squeezed her hand. She still didn't move, and Auggie wondered if he'd pushed a bit too fast. "Annie?"

"Mm-hmm," Annie squeaked out, then realizing she was still bent over him, straightened up. Self-consciously patting his arm where her hand still rested against it, she cleared her throat and quickly sat down, grabbing her coffee and taking a drink.

Auggie listened to her hurried movements, from the shrugging out of her coat to the opening of her bag and the dinging and keytaps of her laptop. Way to go, Anderson, he said to himself. He'd been so anxious to meet this woman again, he'd push too far, too fast. She did make the first move, but –

"Annie?" he said quietly, turning towards her. She didn't answer, and his heart sank. He really had overstepped his bounds. For a second, he thought about tucking his tail between his legs and leaving, gathering the scraps of his ego as he went. But he soon realized he might never have this kind of chance again.

"If I've offended you, please accept my apology, but you did kiss me first. I was just returning the favor," he said. Still no answer, but the keyboard tapping stopped, and he felt the same tingle on his neck that he got when someone was staring at him. "As you may have figured out, or maybe you haven't, but it's true, it's difficult meeting new people, and perhaps I may have overstepped my bounds, but really, I only came in here today to get your phone number."

Annie let a giggle escape her lips, and felt herself smiling. "I'm not offended, just surprised. You're a really good kisser."

"Really?" Auggie said with a wide smile. "Been kind of out of practice."

"It doesn't show," Annie said, mostly to herself, but Auggie caught part of it.

Thinking that the door had been cracked open a bit, Auggie decided to rush through in case it slammed shut on him again. "What are you doing this weekend?"

"Which day?" Annie asked.

"All of it."

"You want to spend the whole weekend with me?"

Auggie nodded.

"We just met yesterday," Annie flustered, though a small part of her was jumping up and down for joy. That part, however, was located below her waist, and she quieted it so that she could make a rational decision.

"So? You said you'd been watching me for months. You know more about me than some of my family members. Listen, Annie, ever since I lost this," he said, waving his hands in front of his sightless eyes, "I've learned that life is too short not to enjoy what I want, right here, right now. I want to learn more about you. I'm not pushing for anything more than what you want to give, but I don't want to lose you."

"Holy crap," Annie mumbled, wanting to pinch herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming.

Auggie's eyebrows rose. "I'm not too up on the local colloquialisms. Was that a yes or a no?"

Giggling again, Annie clapped her hand over her mouth. Since when did she turn into a 15-year-old? Taking a couple of quick breaths to force oxygen into her brain, she thought quickly. She could tell he wanted an answer right then, right now, but was she ready for such a rash decision? Thankfully, the little part of her that had jumped up and down at his initial proposition still had its wits about her, and with a smart virtual whap upside the head, Annie had her answer. She'd been fantasizing about this man for months now, even getting so far as to name their fantasy children and dog. Now her fantasy had become reality, and that reality was asking to share her life. Answer, Annie, Answer.

"Actually, where I grew up, 'holy crap' is a form of endearment. I think around here, people just say 'hells yeah."

"Hells yeah?" Auggie repeated. "Now, that I've heard of before. It's a date, then." Reaching for his wallet, Auggie pulled out his business card. Half print and half Braille, he handed it to Annie. "My number's on there. I work from home, so whenever you get off of work, give me a call."

Annie took the thick business card from his hand, feeling the ridges along the edges. "I will."

"Good," Auggie said with a smile, packing up his laptop into his bag. "Oh, and do you mind driving?"

"Of course not," Annie said, standing along with him. As he slung his bag over his shoulder, she took a step forward and placed her hands on his chest. She'd worn her stilettos again today, which put her nearly eye-height with him. It also allowed non-stretching access to his mouth, which she pressed her lips against. Not as wonderful as the first one, but they had the whole weekend to improve on it.

"Don't tell me, the barista's still watching?" Auggie whispered as she pulled back.

"What barista?"

Chapter 3

Later that day, well, actually, early evening, Auggie shut down his computer. He'd tried to get as much writing as he possibly could so his weekend would be free. As he began to think of what could possibly happen over the next two days, his nerves started to get the best of him again.

He'd successfully shut them down when he'd arrived at his apartment, but now that he didn't have the distraction of writing articles about computer technology, it left only one thing to worry about. What would he and Annie possibly do all weekend?

His proposition had been spur-of-the-moment, but he was sincere. He'd fallen hard and fast for this new woman in his life, and he wanted nothing more than to keep her there.

He'd been busy searching through his wardrobe wondering what to wear when his phone chirped, the automated voice announcing Jai Wilcox, his best friend, calling. Auggie groaned. He'd forgotten all about his twice-monthly "Auggie checkups" that Jai had insisted on. Of course, Jai didn't call them that. He just dropped by and took Auggie out for drinks or concerts. Often that'd translate into trying to hook Auggie up with a woman or two, but they never worked out.

"Jai, what's up?"

"What's up, my man, is a new bar has opened up, and it has our names written all over it," came the smooth, overly happy voice on the other end of the line.

"A new bar?"

"Yep, called Allen's Tavern, over on 7th Street. Supposed to be full of coeds."

"Yeah, Jai, about that –"

"Come on, Aug, you can't stay cooped up in that apartment. Maybe tonight's the night you finally meet someone."

"That's just it, Jai, I already have."

"What?"

Auggie wasn't sure if it was surprise, anger or disappointment that he'd found someone all by himself, but Jai's tone over the phone had him wincing.

"Jai, I'm blind, not deaf. No shouting necessary."

"Where did you meet a girl?"

"Starbucks, and she's coming over soon, so I can't talk too much."

"You hooked up with a barista? Kind of below your standards, isn't it?"

Auggie frowned at Jai's comments. "No, she's not a barista. She's a linguist, I think she said. I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"I want details, Anderson."

"Bye, Jai."

Hanging up, Auggie shook his head at his friend's somewhat college-prone notion of the opposite sex. He checked the time. It was nearly 6pm. Annie said she'd call him after she was done with her work for the day, but didn't specify when that would be. What he told Jai was the truth, she was a linguist – a translator, actually. She didn't give him many details, but she did say that her time was more often than not her own.

He went back to his closet to go through his wardrobe once again when his phone chirped again, this time announcing the name of Annie Walker. He caught it on the third ring.

Annie Walker was in a hurry and didn't even bother waiting until she'd gotten home to call Auggie. It was already past 6pm, and she'd hoped to get her work done and handed in so she would have her weekend free.

By the time she'd gotten out of work, to her place, primped and preened, and gotten back to Auggie's, it'd be a couple of hours, and she thought, she couldn't wait to see him again. So, once she'd gotten in her car, she made a decision. She'd call him now and head over to his place. He answered on the third ring.

"Annie?"

"Hey, Auggie," she replied, thrilling at the sound of his voice.

"Done for the day?"

"Done for the weekend. I'm all yours." Geez, she thought, did she really say that? Before she could backtrack, though, she heard him chuckling.

"I like the sound of that. When can I expect you?"

"I'm about five minutes away, actually."

"Oh, okay. Just buzz downstairs, and I'll let you in."

"Okay, see you in a bit."

Auggie hung up the phone, feeling torn. Five minutes gave him absolutely no time to do what he'd planned. He'd wanted to straighten up, have wine chilled and waiting, shower, shave, get his chosen outfit on. As another minute ticked by, he suddenly launched himself into clean-up mode, straightening his apartment as quickly as he could.

All too soon, the doorbell chirped, and he hurried to the front door, pressing the buzzer to let Annie in. As he waited for her to climb the one step of stairs to his second floor apartment, he ran his hands over his t-shirt, hoping it was suitably non-stained. He quickly tucked it into his jeans and then ran his fingers through his hair.

A tentative knock on his door.

On her way up the stairs, Annie removed her suit jacket and untucked her silk tank from her slacks. It'd have to pass for casual dressy, and just for good measure, she pulled the band out of her hair, fluffing the blonde waves around her shoulders.

Taking a deep breath, she knocked on the door. He answered it readily, and though she'd wanted to greet him with a kiss, she settled for talking first.

"Hey, Auggie."

"Annie, come on in."

"Thanks," Annie said, stepping in, her hand brushing his upper arm as she passed him. Once inside, she came to a halt, taking in his surprisingly stylish and airy apartment. She must have gasped aloud, 'cause she heard Auggie behind her chuckling.

"Sorry, it's just nothing like I imagined."

"The décor is compliments of a friend of mine who's an interior decorator. The apartment itself I had to get a few years back when, umm, when I had my accident," Auggie explained, walking up to her. "Specially laid out, no doors, no sharp edges. You know, the type of thing parents do to keep their homes safe for toddlers."

"It's beautiful," Annie breathed, negating his self-effacing comments. "Surely puts my place to shame."

"I wasn't expecting you so soon, though, or else I'd have something to offer you," Auggie said.

"Oh, I'm sorry, but I couldn't call at the office, and once I left, it was so late already, and if I went back to my place and came back here, it'd be about 8, and –" Annie clapped her mouth shut, realizing she was babbling. A quick look at his face showed his lips turned up a bit, even though he was listening intently.

"I just didn't want to wait too long," she summarized.

"I'm glad you didn't," Auggie said with a smile. "I've got some wine in the fridge, if you don't mind serving yourself." He laid a hand on her shoulder for a moment as he walked past her, allowing his finger to take note of the silkiness of her hair.

"Why, what are you going to do?" Annie said, walking over to the kitchen area that stood behind a long island.

"Take a quick shower and get dressed."

A shower? Annie thought, feeling a rush of heat up her neck as she opened the refrigerator door. A witty retort about asking if he needed help floated through her brain, but she pushed it aside. "So where are we going?"

"A new bar's opened up called Allen's Tavern? Heard it's the place to be," Auggie said.

"How do you want me to do this?" Annie asked, as they stood outside her car passenger door, ready to go out on their first date. She hesitantly grabbed a hold of his elbow, but he just smiled and reversed their positions so he was the one holding her arm.

"Just walk slow and warn me of any steps," he said.

"Okay," Annie said, and they began walking down the sidewalk to the well-lit front of Allen's Tavern. Even a couple of buildings away, Annie could already hear music and people talking and laughing. Given the warm night, she'd opted to leave her jacket off, and Auggie's fingers felt soft and comforting as he gently held her elbow.

She slowed as they approached the doors, and Auggie slowed, as well. He wasn't sure if she felt comfortable leading him, and he'd almost brought along his cane, but he didn't want to make her feel awkward. He was feeling enough of that himself, given this was his first real date since his accident – the setups by Jai and other friends notwithstanding. No, this date he made himself, and he was enjoying the freedom and confidence that fact brought him.

"One step up," Annie said, as she pushed open the door. He followed her easily and stepped in. The music she'd heard was loud, but not so much that they couldn't have a conversation. The crowd was another thing. Allen's Tavern, though a new bar, was packed. Annie's eyes scanned the place looking for somewhere they could sit.

"If you can't find a table, we could sit at the bar," Auggie said, noting that they'd stood still two steps inside for almost a full minute.

"It's more crowded than I thought it'd be," Annie said. "Come on, maybe there's more seating further back."

Carefully skirting the tables and groups of people, Annie made it past the initial crush to find more, thankfully empty, tables nearer the back. "Here we go," she said, choosing one that was nearer the wall. She pulled Auggie's hand off of her elbow and placed it on the back of one of the wooden chairs, taking the one beside it for herself.

She looked around wondering who among the black-and-white outfitted wait staff were theirs. She soon caught the eye of a brunette waitress two tables away who nodded at her and held up a finger, mouthing she'd be there in a minute.

She nodded back and turned to Auggie, who sat with his hands on the table, his fingers clasping and unclasping. She tried to think of something to say, but her mind had gone blank somehow.

She gave a nervous giggle, and Auggie's head turned toward her at the sound. "What's funny?"

"I don't know. I'd been wondering what it'd be like to date you all this time, and now here we are, and I can't think of a thing to say," she admitted.

Auggie knew what she meant, though his nervousness stemmed from a very different set of circumstances. He slid a hand across the table, and once hers touched it, he closed his fingers around hers. "Think it'd be easier if we headed to the nearest coffeeshop?"

"It did seem easier, didn't it?"

Auggie pulled on her hand until he felt her lean closer. "Would it make you feel better if I told you this is the first real date I'd been on in years?"

"It might," Annie said, "though I have a hard time believing it."

"It's true."

Annie drew back a little at his admission. "How?" she asked.

Auggie shrugged. "Thought that'd be obvious."

"Because you're blind?" Annie said bluntly. "What does that have to do with anything? You're sexy and charming. If anything, the women should be falling off you even more, wanting to 'guide' you back to their apartments."

"Wow," Auggie said, "you think I'm sexy?"

Annie rolled his eyes at him. "That's all you got from that?"

Auggie chuckled. "I didn't say it wasn't from lack of prospects. It's just hard for me to trust people now so easily if I can't read their intentions, you know?"

Annie squeezed his hand, and with her other, brushed his hair off his forehead. "Yet you asked me out. How do you know what my intentions are?"

"I don't," Auggie said, catching her hand as it trailed down his cheek. He turned it in his hand and pressed a kiss along her knuckles. "But I'm willing to take the chance. How about you?"

"Damn," Annie breathed, as his caress sent a ripple of goosebumps up her bare arms.

"Was that a yes?"

Annie nodded, not trusting her voice, then realizing her gaffe, squeaked out, "Yes."

"Just relax, Annie. We'll take this slow and see where it goes, what do you say?"

Slow? Annie thought. She'd been taking it slow for six months now, and the way his hands caressed hers and the warm look in his eyes made her want to hop in his lap and treat herself to a real kiss. But, she thought, she also didn't want to drive him away with her eagerness.

"I say yes, though you did promise me the whole weekend, remember. I can't promise how I'll feel tomorrow, or even Sunday," she teased.

A wide smile crossed Auggie's face, and he tugged on both of her hands, pulling her towards him. Annie guessed his intentions and leaned further toward him, raising his hand to her face. He ran his fingers along her jaw until he came to her chin, which he used to guide himself toward her. His lips had barely touched hers when a loud, slightly inebriated, and all-too-familiar voice sounded near him.

"Auggie! Is this the chick you picked up at the coffee shop?"

Chapter 4

Annie felt Auggie's lips freeze a split second after they'd touched hers, and he pulled back from her. She looked up to see the man attached to the voice she'd just heard clap Auggie on the back and walk around to sit in the unoccupied chair across from them. His fingers were carrying a few bottles of beer, which he sat in front of them, taking one for himself.

"Thought I'd buy you a round," the man said, pushing the bottle until it grazed Auggie's fingertips.

"Jai, that's not really necessary," Auggie began.

"It's already paid for, so drink it. Now, aren't you going to introduce us?"

Auggie nodded, "Annie, I'd like to introduce you to Jai Wilcox. Jai, this is Annie Walker."

Annie looked over at the darkly handsome man whose hand was reaching across the table to her. She shook it, noting the strength he exuded. "Nice to meet you."

"Likewise," Jai said with a calculating smile.

Annie recognized it and wondered what role Jai played in Auggie's life. He seemed to be sizing her up, and given what he said when he approached the table, he wasn't too impressed with her role in Auggie's life.

"And before you say anything else to embarrass yourself or me, yes, we did meet at the Starbucks. Annie's a regular customer, and she was gracious enough to help me out this week," Auggie said, glossing over the precise details, for which Annie felt extremely grateful.

"And here I've been dragging you out to bars. Guess I'll add coffeeshops to the list of the best places to pick up beautiful women," Jai said, picking up his beer and nodding toward Annie before taking a drink.

Annie wasn't sure how to respond. Did he just compliment her or insult Auggie? Thankfully, Auggie broke the tension at the table by standing and asking Jai directions to the men's room. Their table was near the entrance, so he was able to make his way there within a few seconds.

Annie concentrated on the beer bottle in front of her in Auggie's absence, but felt the hair on her neck stand up while Jai studied her. She'd normally feel defensive by such attention, but given how protective he seemed to be toward Auggie, she figured he was just watching out for him.

"Isn't this the part where you tell me if I break his heart, you'll break my face?" she asked.

Jai's mouth twitched into half a smile. "I was thinking about it. But truly? I'm just happy he's come out on his own."

"He told me he hadn't been out for years."

"It's somewhat true," Jai said, shrugging his shoulders. "I'd pull him out a couple of times a month, but this is the first time in years since before – well, you know – that he's met someone by himself. You must have made an impression."

Annie took a long drink of her beer, and feeling suddenly awkward being stared at by Jai, excused herself to the restroom. She passed Auggie on her way out, patting his arm.

"Hey, where are you going?" Auggie asked.

"Just to the ladies room. I'll be right back," Annie said.

Auggie nodded and got back to the table, taking his seat and reaching for his bottle. Jai was still there, and he turned to him. "So, what do you think?"

"She's beautiful, Aug," Jai said matter-of-factly.

"Come on, that's not what I mean. I'd really like your opinion," Auggie pressed.

"Really?" Jai asked. "It used to be your number one goal. Remember the arguments we'd get in fighting over the prettiest girl at the party?"

"She could come back anytime now, Jai."

Seeing the earnest expression on his friend's face, Jai broke out in a wide smile. "Remember when we got drunk that one night and told each other what our dream girl would be like?"

Auggie had to think for a second, but he nodded that he did remember. "Steve's bachelor party, right?"

"Yep. Guess you found yours first. Good luck, Aug."

Standing, Jai clapped his friend on his shoulder, and leaning down, whispered, "But if you break up, make sure she's got my number."

Annie returned as Jai was walking away. Frowning, she took her seat. "Was it something I said?"

Auggie shook his head, "Quite the contrary. He wished us the best of luck."

"Guessed I passed the test, huh?" Annie asked, her hand reaching out to squeeze his.

"Something like that."

"Good, 'cause I plan on sticking around."

Auggie brought her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss against her knuckles. The slight caress sent a warmth up her arm that had nothing to do with the beer. She returned to drinking it when music started playing. Looking around, she saw a group of college-age men and women gathered around a jukebox, and as the music started – some kind of top 40 dance tune – they moved to the open area a few tables away from them and started to dance.

Her feet unconsciously began to tap to the heavy beat, and she found herself swaying in her chair. She hadn't been out dancing in a long time, and she wondered how Auggie felt about the subject.

Gathering her courage – courtesy of the remnants of her beer bottle – she stood, tugging on Auggie's hand that was still grasping hers. "Come on."

Auggie finished taking his drink and sat the bottle on the table. "Where are we going?"

"Don't you hear the music?" Annie said, bringing him to his feet.

"Yes, I was enjoying listening to it," Auggie said, allowing her to pull him away from the table. "You don't want to leave now, do you? I promise, Jai's not coming back."

Annie smiled. They were now at the edge of the wooden floor, and she stopped them at the corner where they were less likely to be bumped. She placed the hand she was holding onto her waist and looped hers around his neck. Slowly, as not to startle him too much, she began to sway her hips to the music.

As much as he enjoyed where his hand had been placed, Auggie frowned. "Annie, I'm not much of a dancer."

"Shh," Annie said, taking a step closer to him. "Just concentrate on me and the feel of the music. Don't worry about anyone watching."

Auggie hesitated for a moment, all the reasons why he'd rather be at the table enjoying a drink or at home reading or listening to music filtering through his mind. Her hand grabbed his other one and placed it on the other side of her waist.

"Let go, Auggie," Annie whispered. "Do you trust me?"

"Of course," Auggie replied.

"Then let go. Dance with me."

The soft plea stirred something in Auggie he hadn't felt in a while. He'd felt rumblings of it earlier that day when they'd kissed, but now as her hips began to sway beneath his hands and her fingers played with his collar and his hair, he felt it full force. His fingers clinched into her skin and top, and he pulled her even closer, matching her move for move.

"Hey, Jai, what's Auggie doing?"

Jai shrugged, "Out on a date, it seems. I know, it shocked me, too."

"No, Jai, what's he doing?"

Finally following his friend's pointed finger, Jai saw that the table Annie and Auggie had previously sat at was emptied, and a few feet away, on the edge of the wooden floor, he saw them. Dancing.

Sure, they weren't as skilled as the other couples around them, but as he watched, he saw something he hadn't for a long time. Auggie Anderson, his best friend, was smiling. He looked truly happy, and Jai shook his head in disbelief. For years now, ever since Auggie had woken up bandaged in the hospital room, disoriented and scared, Jai had taken it upon himself to make sure he didn't succumb to the depression he could see was lurking in the depths of his sightless eyes.

For a while, he thought he'd never be able to get Auggie out of his self-imposed shell. Now, as he took one final glimpse at the happy couple, it seemed his job was done.

THE END


	16. The Date

Title: The Date

Category: TV Shows » Covert Affairs

Author: Beth - Geek Chick

Language: English, Rating: Rated: T

Genre: Romance/Humor

Published: 08-21-10, Updated: 08-26-10

Chapters: 3, Words: 3,425

Chapter 1

The hot water poured over my skin, instantaneously making my muscles relax and my skin shiver. The mixture of the two sensations made my breath stop in my throat. I gasped and breathed in the hot steamy air. The hot spray both soothed sore muscles and stung my battered skin. Maybe I should have opted for a bath.

Reaching up gingerly, I pulled the pins out of my hair and let the length of it drop down onto my shoulders. Leaning back into the fall of water, I let the water soak into the strands. I found a bottle of shampoo on a shelf and poured out a generous amount into my palm. The clean sandalwood smell filled my senses.

Rubbing it into my hair, I scrubbed vigorously, wanting to transform my body back into some sort of semblance of self. I leaned back into the fall of water again, letting the suds wash away.

That's better, I thought, reaching out and turning the taps off. I reached outside for the towel, wrapping it around myself as I stepped out. Another towel sat on the cabinet. I grabbed it and wrapped it around my hair, squeezing out the excess water.

A knock sounded at the bathroom door. Hanging the towel on the rack to dry, I stepped over to the door and opened it.

Auggie stood there, holding some clothes. "Thought you'd want to wear something other than a towel."

"What makes you think I'm wearing a towel?" I teased, taking the garments from his hand.

He took the slightest step forward, angling his head down, unfocused gaze in my direction. The corners of his mouth lifted, and he leaned in closer. "If you were naked, you wouldn't have opened the door," he whispered, before turning around and walking away.

I stood there frozen, hands clasping his proferred clothing. Slowly my breath came back to me, and I closed the bathroom door once more. This was happening more often, I realize. The teasing, off-the-cuff remarks, the flirting used to just make me laugh and ease the tension of the workplace.

But now, even the most innocent of touches or phrases caused my breath to catch in my throat and my pulse to race. Taking a deep breath, I take off the towel and dry my overheated body. Slipping the t-shirt over my head, I inhale deeply, and my knees go weak. Damn, it smelled like him. I quickly step into the sweatpants and walk over to the sink.

I towel dry my hair as best I can and comb it out, wrapping the length into itself in a loose knot. Staring at myself in the mirror, I try to make sense of the emotions running through me. What the hell is going on? What would happen if I acted on these feelings? What if he rejects me? Am I strong enough to stand that? Shutting my eyes against these thoughts, I don't hear the door open again.

"Annie?" Auggie's voice reached me, and my eyes fly open. "Everything okay?"

"Yes," I answered, my voice an octave higher than normal. Swallowing, I try to speak again normally. "Everything's great. Thanks for letting me use your shower, and for the loan of the clothes."

He smiled, holding his hand out to me. As I placed my hand in his, he turned and led me out into the hallway. "Anytime, Annie. You know that."

"You're too kind, you know. A girl could get spoiled."

We walked, still holding hands, into the kitchen. Though the hour was late, Auggie knew I hadn't eaten. A dinner of pasta and a salad was laid out on the table. "I thought you'd be hungry," he said, giving my hand a squeeze.

Smiling, I reach over and give him a quick kiss on the cheek. He leaned into the caress, and our cheeks brushed.

"Thanks, Auggie."

"Sit, eat," he said, pulling the chair out for me. He sat opposite me while I ate, comfortably silent. As I rose to put my dishes on the sink, he spoke.

"Annie?"

"Yes?"

"Would you -"

His voice trailed off, and I looked at him. He seemed to be lost in thought, his mouth twisting as though he was trying to say something. I walked over to him

and put my hand on his shoulder. He nearly flinched at the touch, but then covered my hand with his own and stood up.

He was standing so close to me I could feel his breath on my face. His hand was still holding mine, and he was absently running his fingers down my palm. As my breath caught in my throat for the second time that day, I waited.

"Do you want to go out sometime, just the two of us, no CIA, no undercover?"

"Auggie, I -"

My hesitation, purely by shock that my hopes were coming true, must have been too long for him. He dropped my hand and stepped back. "You - you don't have to answer now. I was just thinking we could have some fun, you know, two friends out together."

No! my heart leapt in my chest as I realized he took my silence for a refusal. I reach out and place my hand on his cheek. He turned toward me again. "But I want to answer now. Yes, I'd love to go out with you."

He smiled then and gathered me in his arms. He laughed, "I was so afraid you'd say no."

"Why?" I ask, releasing him and stepping back.

"'Cause any time I try to flirt with you, you've never responded."

Reaching my hand up, I run my finger down his strong jawline, "How's this for a response?" Leaning in, I slowly touch my lips to his. Tentative and slow, I repeat the gesture twice before stepping back again.

"And besides, you flirt with every girl you meet. How was I supposed to know the difference?"

He smiled, "Not every girl, and besides, I thought at some point, you'd get jealous."

"I was, but since you're the best friend I've ever had, I wasn't about to ruin that."

"So my master plan over the past few months has been for nothing."

"Master plan?" I ask, taking his elbow and walking us into the living room.

"Annie, I've been wanting to ask you out all summer. It wasn't until tonight when you opened the bathroom door and intimated you weren't wearing anything that I knew I had make a move or go crazy."

We both sat on the couch, and as he laid his arm across my shoulders, I leaned into him. "So, all this time, you've been wanting to ask me out?"

"Yes."

"Even today, when I show up at your house, on a Saturday, uninvited, smelling like I had slept in a barn because - well, I had because I was trailing someone and lost them. When you opened your door, you wanted to ask me out, right then?" I laughed.

"Well," he hedged, crinkling his nose, "Maybe not right then."

"I don't blame you. I wouldn't date me, either, at that moment. So, this big night that you've been planning for months. What did you have in mind?"

Chapter 2

One Week Later

"Thank you, keep the change," Auggie said, handing the cab driver a $20. As the taxi sped away down the quiet street, he checked his watch again. "6:55 p.m." Right on time. Unfolding his white cane, he tapped the sidewalk, calling up from memory the layout of Annie's front walk. He had been here twice before, but Annie's firm grip on his elbow had led the way.

Counting his steps, he made his way through a gate and up a concrete path to a small house. One step up, and three steps to the front door. Success. Not knowing if she had a doorbell, he knocked on the screen door and waited.

Standing by the front window, I smiled to myself. After a week of begging for details, Auggie gave no hints of what our "date" would be. Only that he would be here at 7pm Friday night, and that she should dress up. A traditional first date, he said, and though I wondered briefly at the logistics of his instructions, I decided to trust him.

Sitting by the window since 6:45, I had been waiting for him. Since he had given no details of a destination, I opted for a "first date" dress: the quintessential little black number. Black stilettos, gold drop earrings and upswept hair completed my ensemble. Seeing Auggie now, bathed in the glow of the front porch light, I knew my choice was appropriate. Though he'd always dressed well - one of the things I liked about him - tonight he was wearing a well-tailored black suit, complete with little handkerchief in the breast pocket.

Hearing his knock, I went over and opened it. "Hello, Auggie."

"Good evening, Annie. For you," Auggie said, holding a white rose.

"It's beautiful, thank you." Taking the bloom, I immediately bring it to my nose and inhale its sweetness.

"Can I come in?"

"Of course, please," I stepped aside to let him in. As he stepped in, I shut the door and put a hand to his elbow, leading him to the couch. "Since you kept tonight's details a secret, I wasn't sure what to wear."

"And what did you decide on?" he said, reaching his hand up to my shoulder, and, finding bare skin, smiled.

"Sleeveless black dress, black heels and gold earrings."

"Perfect choice for my plans." he said, stroking his hand down my arm.

"And they would be?" I replied, relishing the feeling of his caress.

"Yeah, I guess you'll have to know since you'll be driving. but tell me one thing. Can you dance in those shoes?"

I smile as I realize what he's proposing, "You're taking me dancing?"

"I thought we'd take it the traditional route for a first date. Dinner, a little dancing, perhaps a drink after."

"That sounds wonderful. I can't think of the last time I went dancing. Actually, now that I think about it, I haven't been dancing for years. Kind of sad, huh?"

Auggie grasped my hand and bring it to his lips, brushing a soft kiss across it. "And that, Annie Walker, is why you deserve tonight. We should be going. I made reservations for 7:30."

Auggie placed his hand at my waist as we walked from the valet into the restaurant. The warmth of his subtle touch sent a thrill up my spine, and it was a subtle change from his usual hand at my elbow.

As we approached the hostess, his hand slid down to grasp mine, giving it a squeeze.

The impeccably dressed, beautiful woman looked up from her guest book as we walked up to her. "Hello. Welcome to Indinne. Do you have a reservation?"

"Yes, two for Anderson," Auggie replied smoothly.

"Of course, I have it here. Your table is ready. If you'll come with me, Mr. and Mrs. Anderson, I'll show you the way." With a practiced air, she stepped out from behind her dias and began walking quickly through the tables.

"No, we aren't -" I began, only to have Auggie give my hand a hard squeeze. Looking over at him, I saw he was smiling, trying in vain to hold back a laugh.

"Hurry, before we lose her," he said, giving a pull on my hand.

The hostess was waiting for us at a dimly lit corner table. As we reached it, Auggie thanked her and held my chair out for me. "Thanks, Auggie."

"Your waiter will be by with your menus. Please enjoy your stay," the hostess said before walking quickly away.

As soon as she was out of earshot, I give Auggie a playful slap on the arm. "How could you let her believe we're married?"

"Ahh, no harm, no foul. Besides, she doesn't sound like the kind of woman who takes no for an answer," Auggie answered, laughing.

"Maybe not, but still -" I laughed, taking a look around. "Auggie, this place is beautiful." Beyond the tables, I saw several couples already dancing, and a small group of musicians were playing soft jazz music. The overall ambience was soft and elegant, not at all the type of place I expected.

"Have you been here before?" Auggie asked.

"No, why, have you?"

He shook his head, "Never."

"Then how -"

"Let's just say I called in a favor to a friend and leave it at that." Auggie said, reaching across the table. I grasped his hand with both of mine. "Tonight's about us, Annie. Some good food, good wine, and stimulating conversation."

An hour later, as we're laughing over our dessert of the most decadent cheesecake I've ever had, I find myself looking over at the dancing couples. Auggie did mention dinner AND dancing, and my legs were feeling restless. I must have sighed more than once because Auggie soon laid down his fork and stood.

"Would you like to dance?" he asked, holding out his hand.

"I was hoping you'd ask," I replied, placing my hand in his.

As we walk to the dance floor, Auggie pulled me in close. His arm wrapped around my waist, and taking my hand in his, we began to sway. I laugh to myself as I realize that, not even a week ago, I was having fantasies about being in his arms. And now, as he spun me around and placed a kiss on my neck, I knew that the real thing was infinitely better.

Chapter 3

"You have no idea, Auggie, how long I've dreamed of this," I whisper into his ear as we danced, him mostly leading, but me guiding our way through the other couples. He answered with another quick spin.

"Ever since you met me?" he asked.

I laugh quietly, burying my face into his neck. "Oh, how did you guess? Yes, Auggie, when you first flashed that green laser onto me on my first day, I wanted you to take me into your arms and waltz through the halls of the CIA."

"Well," he said, leaning back and angling his gaze towards me, "I did warn you that the CIA highly encourages dating within the agency. Conrad probably took one look at you and started a betting pool as to who you would hook up with."

"He was probably betting on himself. Too bad for him."

"Ahh, yes, poor man. If there ever was such a pool, I think he would have been the odds-on favorite, with our friend Jai Wilcox coming up close behind."

"I'm not so sure about that. I've seen how women look at you. Don't you think people have wondered about us?"

"I know they have, but the latest chatter had us being best friends forever and ever," he laughed. "Actually, I didn't even know how much I cared about you until you went away to Switzerland. I had lost contact with you, and then got pulled off the case to get grilled by that polygraph pinhead. The thought that you could be in danger, and me, the one person who was charged with your care, couldnt do a thing about it, I knew I was lost. When did you start dreaming of this, of us?" he asked, all humor gone from his face.

"You're probably not going to believe me, but it was the same time, when I got home from Zurich. The first thing I heard was the message you left for me, welcoming me back, and I realized -"

I fell silent then, the full truth of what I was saying dawning on me.

"Annie?"

We had stopped dancing, and before I could say anymore, another couple had bumped into us. I apologized with a smile to them and led us off the dance floor and back to our table. Auggie followed, his hand on my waist. As we were settled back into our seats, Auggie reached his hands across the table, and I slid mine into them.

"Auggie, when I heard your voice, I knew I was home. And I knew that, no matter where I went in the world, you'd always be there. You had become my best friend, without my asking anything of you."

I looked down at our clasped hands, and then up at Auggie's face. "I mean, I hadn't been dreaming of dating you then, but it was at that moment when I realized you were more important to me than anyone else I knew."

"Annie," Auggie whispered, leaning forward, pulling at my hands. "You know I'll always be there for you, no matter what."

Swallowing hard against the emotion welling up from my chest, I leaned across the table. As his head tilted slightly, I press a soft kiss against his lips. He bent his head toward me and swept his lips across mine. A soft sigh echoed from his throat, and he kissed me again.

An emphatic "Ahem" pulled us apart. As I looked up, the waiter stood there. A mixture of embarrassment and anoyance etched his face. "Your check, sir." Placing it on the table, he shuffled away quickly.

"Guess we got carried away there," Auggie said. "Are you ready to leave?"

Looking around, I saw that several people were watching us. "Yes, I think we should. We've got quite a captive audience."

With a light laugh, Auggie stood, holding his hand out for mine.

As we make our way out past the entrance, the hostess sees us. With a knowing smile, she said, "Please come back again, Mr. and Mrs. Anderson."

This time, I make no protest as Auggie squeezes my hand. "We will, thank you."

As we made our way to the car, I shiver a bit and grasp onto Auggie's arm tighter.

"Are you cold? I can give you my jacket."

"No, I'm not cold," I said, unlocking the car.

"Then why are you shaking?"

"I - I don't know."

Opening the driver's door, Auggie placed me inside before he walked around and climbed into the passenger's seat. Turning towards me, he reaches up, finding my shoulder, and with the lightest of touches, moves his fingers to my face until he's cupping my cheeks.

"Would you do me the honor, Mrs. Anderson, of coming home with me?"

I laugh lightly, "Yes, Mr. Anderson. There's nothing more I'd like to do."

A wide smile crossed his face, and he pulled me towards him, kissing me with so much passion that I thought my heart would break.

THE END


	17. The Memo

Title: The Memo

Category: TV Shows » Covert Affairs

Author: Beth - Geek Chick

Language: English, Rating: Rated: T

Genre: Romance/General

Chapters: 1, Words: 1,930

Annie knocked on Auggie's apartment door, the memo still clutched in her hand. It'd been placed on her desk in a confidential interoffice manila envelope late that afternoon, and she figured it was nothing more than human resources paperwork. Since she'd gotten back from Sri Lanka a month ago, her body and heart bruised and broken, she'd done nothing but fill out paperwork and take meetings – debriefings with Joan, an apology meeting with Arthur, and numerous mandated meetings with a psychiatrist.

All had ended with a piece of paper, declaring her fit and well and able to continue working. She wasn't quite sure why they didn't just take her word for it, but she expected nothing less from a government agency that ran on red tape. But it'd been a month, and she thought she was cleared and done. Hell, she'd even made it through another intensive round with that smug polygrapher without batting an eye.

Today, however, on a Friday, no less, another envelope was dropped on her desk from Joan's assistant. She'd hoped to make it out of the office at a reasonable time, but no luck. And then she opened the envelope. Her fingers shook, and had she not been trained by the best to control her emotions, she probably would have burst into tears.

She looked around for the one person she could always count on to talk about things like this, but he'd already left. Tech ops was silent and dark. Without thinking further, she shut down her computer, stowed away everything that needed locking up, grabbed her stuff and left. She only hoped he went home and not out.

Now she stood outside his door, the paper still clutched in her hand. It was official, simply worded and signed in bright blue ink by both Joan Campbell and Arthur Campbell.

The door slid open, and Auggie, realizing it was her, smiled and opened his mouth to welcome her, but he never got a chance. The carefully controlled exterior she'd kept up until this point cracked slightly. Not enough for full-on weeping, but enough for a tiny sob to seep through.

Auggie's exceptional hearing caught it, and he immediately said, "What's wrong?"

"They're kicking me out," Annie said, her voice a cross between a strangled whisper and a shout.

"Who's kicking you out of where?" he asked, brow furrowed and head shaking.

Annie, not wanting to have this conversation half in the hallway of Auggie's apartment building, walked in and shut the door. Once inside, she began pacing, her heels clicking loud on the hardwood floor.

Auggie waited where he stood for a few seconds before realizing she wasn't going to extrapolate on her statement. Her pacing , he surmised, told him she was getting wound up, so he walked over to his cupboard and pulled out his bottle of Patron and two shot glasses.

He settled on the couch and poured them both a drink. "Come here, have a drink, and calm down."

"Getting drunk isn't going to solve my problem, Auggie," Annie said, though the sparkling liquid did look inviting.

Auggie didn't answer, only lifted up her glass and held it out to her. A few seconds later, she was crossing the floor to him and plopping down on the couch beside him. Her fingers took the shotglass out of his hand. He downed his own and then sat back. "Now, tell me what's wrong."

The strong, pungent, stinging liquid coated Annie's throat and warmed her from the inside. Though she kenw alcohol's effects weren't instantaneous, she did feel a bit better. So, with a deep breath, she turned toward him and placed the paper she still held into his hands.

"That was delivered to me a little while ago, when I was getting ready to leave for the day."

A quick feel across the paper showed Auggie it was printed upon and not in Braille, so he handed it back to her. "What's it say?"

"In essence, Arthur, and by default, Joan, thank me for my work I've done over the past handful of months, but seeing as my main purpose for being at the DPD is now over," Annie's voice hitched here at the mere mention of Ben, "I am to return to the Farm to complete my training."

Auggie nodded, taking in all of what she said, but also the tone of her voice. Was she upset because Arthur and Joan had actually copped to the fact that she'd been brought in to capture Ben? Or was there more to the letter?

"I knew they brought you in early, and at the time, I didn't know why, but how much longer do you have?" he asked.

"A month," Annie said, staring at the letter as if its contents would change the longer she looked at it.

"That's not too long. A handful of weeks, and you'll be back, raring to go."

"Are you so sure about that?" Annie asked, her voice breaking a bit.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Auggie asked, his confusion growing as to why she was so close to tears.

"Auggie, I was brought into the Domestic Protection Division to draw Ben out. It worked. Mission completed. There's nothing in this letter that says I'll be coming back here once my training is done."

Comprehension dawned on Auggie, and he reached an arm out to place around her shoulders. She shifted next to him to allow the embrace. With a squeeze of his hand on her shoulder, he said, "Wherever you end up, Annie, you'll be a kick-ass, highly trained officer of the Central Intelligence Agency, more able than any other newbie from the Farm."

"Yeah, but –" Annie sighed, dropping her head on his shoulder.

"But nothing," Auggie said. "Have a little faith in yourself, Annie."

"My faith has nothing to do with this."

"Then what's all this about?" Auggie asked.

"The problem isn't where I'll be assigned next," Annie said, turning slightly so as to more fully face him without losing the comforting feel of his arm around her shoulders. "The problem is – well, it's not really a problem, but –" The expectant and compassionate look on his face was almost too much for her to bear.

"Annie, you can tell me anything, you know that."

"I know," she said with a small smile. "What am I going to do without you?"

"I'm not going anywhere."

"But I am, and I don't want to leave you," she whispered, finally giving voice to the the only concern that flared in her mind when she'd first read the memo. "I couldn't have done any of this without you."

His eyes shutting at her soft words, Auggie shook his head. "All I did was listen, Annie. There are people out there you can count on, and I'm sure, wherever you end up, you'll make more friends than you can count."

"But I don't want anyone else. I want you," Annie said, her voice raising.

His eyes flew open at her confession. "Annie, what are you saying?" he asked, his heart giving a sudden thud against his chest.

"What I've been trying to say ever since I came here," Annie said. "I'm not upset that I have to go back to the Farm. I'm not upset that Arthur has, in writing, admitted his reason for pulling me out of training in the first place."

Twisting more fully beside him, his arm fell off her shoulders, and she lifted her hands to his face, bringing his sightless eyes more in line with hers. "When I read that memo, I only thought of one thing, and believe me, it came as a surprise to me, too," she said with a light laugh. "But all I could think of was the fact that I might never see you again."

And, at that moment, it all came to Auggie like a flash, and he raised his hands to hers, pressing them into his skin. He opened his mouth to respond, but all he could manage was a whisper of her name. "Annie."

Without a further thought, and before she lost her nerve, Annie leaned forward, and touching her forehead to his for a second, tilted her head slightly and brushed her lips against his. It was only the softest of kisses, but it was enough. His hands left hers, and before she pulled away, they dove into her hair, pulling her further in. He whispered her name again before returning her caress.

The dam that had been threatening to burst in Annie ever since she read that memo cracked more fully, and the emotions she'd been holding back flooded out. Her hands never left his face, nor his her hair as their mouths explored, tasted, caressed.

His lips slid off of hers, kissing along her jawline and down her neck. He enveloped her in his arms and pulled her close, nearly lifting her off the couch and onto his lap.

"I don't want to go," Annie sobbed, her arms clenching onto his shoulders.

"You have to, Annie," Auggie whispered against her skin.

A fresh sob wracked her, and Auggie's heart began to break, as well. He allowed himself another minute of the feel of her body against his – new, yes, but it felt so right, so much like where he belonged. With a final inhale of her scent that clung like a beacon behind her ear, he pulled slightly away from her.

"I'll talk to Joan. Hell, I'll talk to Arthur, as well. He owes me one, anyway. I'll make sure you come back to the DPD when you're done at the Farm."

"Auggie, I don't think –"

"Shh, let me take care of this, okay?" He felt her nod her head, and he continued, "I'll make sure you get assigned back to us, and if you don't –"

He took a breath, realizing what he was saying, but knowing deep down it was the only way. "If you don't, I'll put in for a transfer, as well."

"You can't do that, Auggie," Annie cried. "You love your job, you 've worked so hard to –"

"You're more important to me," he said. "Besides, it's only a last resort. Nothing – nothing is going to keep us apart."

THE END


	18. The Question

Title: The Question

Category: TV Shows » Covert Affairs

Author: Beth - Geek Chick

Language: English, Rating: Rated: T

Genre: Romance/General

Published: 06-19-11, Updated: 06-29-11

Chapters: 4, Words: 6,315

Chapter 1

_A/N Phone conversation between Annie and Auggie some time in the future._

So, you once told me that the CIA encourages in-house dating.

Yeah, I remember that. Though you do realize I was trying to pick you up at the time, right?

We'd just met, Auggie.

So?

You're impossible. So, was it all a lie?

No, it's not a lie. You do know that our boss is married to Arthur Campbell, right?

Yes.

So why question it now?

'Cause nobody knows about this.

Ahh, now I get it.

Please tell me you're not ashamed of you and me.

Don't ever think that.

So, you're not ashamed, but you don't want anybody to know. Is it because you're my handler?

Oh, my god, it is because of that.

Just like the in-house dating thing is more of an unwritten rule, so is the immediate team members hooking up frowned on.

Why?

It compromises things, of course. Puts emotion where it has no place being.

But we've been together for months now. If anything, it's helped us.

I know that, and you know that, but the others? Not quite sure.

I hate sneaking around, Auggie, or not being able to touch you when I want to.

I know, me, too.

What if you weren't my handler?

Huh?

I can ask Joan to assign me to someone else.

What good will that do?

It'll give us free rein to announce our relationship.

You really think I'd give your well-being up to someone else?

I'm a big girl, Auggie. I can take care of myself.

I know you can. That's why I like being your handler, less work for me to do.

Hey!

Just kidding. I just feel better if I'm there, listening to everything, making sure you're coming home to me.

But you know this is more like half a relationship than the whole thing.

I know.

Since it's only an unwritten rule, why don't we try it? Be a couple at work, officer and handler?

I can count on one hand the number of times that's worked.

So it can be done.

It can. It has. It hasn't ended well, in the long run, for either Annie, I plan on being with you for the rest of my life.

Auggie, this is killing me.

Me, too.

Let's try it, please.

They may order us to split up.

They can't do that.

They can. They will. They have done in the past.

Then I guess we're stuck.

There is one way.

How?

We could get married.

What?

It'd prove we were serious, and they don't make a habit of ordering 'd pretty much fly in the face of their outmoded traditional values.

Auggie?

I have seen them try to, but legal soon set them straight.

Auggie?

I mean, marriage certificates are legal documents, after all, and if there's children involved, it makes it even more difficult for them to -

Auggie!

What?

Did you just propose to me?

Huh?

Did. You. Just. Propose. To. Me.

Oh, umm, yeah, I guess I did.

Wow.

Yeah.

Did – did you want an answer right now?

Well, maybe you should think about it first. I mean, it's a big step, right?

You could say that.

No rush, just think about what I said, you know. If you really want this out in the open, and –

I get it, Auggie. It's just not what I hoped my first proposal of marriage to sound like.

It's not how I pictured proposing, either.

It's getting late. I'll see you tomorrow?

Yeah. Love you, Annie.

I love you, too.

Annie hung up the phone, her mind reeling from what she just experienced. She lay back on the bed, wishing that tonight, she'd accepted Auggie's offer to stay at his place. That conversation would have gone smoother, she thought, had she been able to see his face, or at least kiss him senseless when he proposed.

God, she thought. August Anderson, her boyfriend and lover for the past four months, had just proposed to her. Not the way she dreamed or imagined, yet there it was. It was said, and it was out in the open.

She glanced at the clock, wondering how long it'd take her to get to Auggie's now. Too long, she surmised. Given the drive time, how long it'd take them "talk," get some sleep, then get back to work on Friday, it was too late.

Groaning, she sat up out of bed and headed to the bathroom to brush her teeth, damning her workplace's bureaucratic b.s. the entire way.

Auggie hung up the phone, his mind swirling from the conversation he just had. What in the world did he just do? Did he just, without thinking, propose to Annie? His Annie? It's not that he didn't want to. God, he wanted to spend every waking and sleeping moment with the woman.

But to propose they get married in the same way he'd ask her to grab him a cup of coffee at Starbucks? Smooth, Anderson, he berated himself. Real smooth. He'd only been thinking out loud, trying to calm Annie's nerves. He hadn't liked the situation, either. They couldn't even go to Allen's anymore, given the pervasiveness of the rest of the staff that congregated there.

Groaning, he went to the bathroom to brush his teeth. Tomorrow, he'd send her a big bunch of flowers as an apology for his bonehead maneuver. And maybe some chocolates. Some lingerie? Or, he chuckled to himself, maybe an engagement ring. That was what women expected with a marriage proposal, right? He groaned again, he really was a dumbass.

Chapter 2

Halfway to work the next morning, Auggie nearly told his car service driver to turn around and take him back to Annie's house. He didn't, if only because he still wasn't sure what to say to her. Their relationship thus far had been smooth, easy. They fell into dating as easily as they'd become friends, and after a while, lovers much the same way.

So why, at the prospect of the next step, did he suddenly feel nervous? He'd never felt nervous about a female in his entire life. So why now? And why with Annie? He loved Annie. She completed him, made him whole, made him happy. So why the butterflies in his stomach at the prospect of spending his entire life with her?

The questions kept swirling in his brain the entire morning, and he'd had to shake them clear when he reached his office. The place was already in full gear, and he settled into work, putting his personal life on hold for the time being. Or, at least 'til lunchtime when he was able to talk with Annie alone.

Annie swung into Dani's kitchen, eager for some strong coffee to combat the fatigue she was feeling. After last night's phone call/proposal, she'd tossed and turned before finally falling asleep, only to dream of walking down the aisle of a beautiful church, Auggie waiting at the other end. It would have been beautiful and sweet, but she was never able to reach him. No matter how fast she walked, he always seemed out of reach.

She felt the same panic and longing when she woke. Auggie, she thought. She's got to talk to Auggie. She grabbed up her phone to do so, throwing the sheets off, but quickly put the phone back down again. No, she needed to see him first. The phone got them in trouble in the first place.

She downed one cup of coffee and was pouring another into a travel mug when Danielle appeared.

"Morning."

"Morning," Annie said, stifling a yawn.

"You okay?"

Annie looked up at her and smiled. Danielle never missed a trick. "Yeah, I am. Or, I guess, I will be. I was talking to Auggie last night."

"Oh, yeah?" Danielle said, leaning over the counter.

"Yeah," Annie said. "We were talking about our future."

Danielle's eyes lit up at this, and she clapped her hands in joy. "Oh, Annie!"

"Calm down, Danielle," Annie said, grabbing her sister's hands. "Nothing's been decided yet."

"Oh, okay," she said, her disappointment evident in her face.

"I mean, I love Auggie, I really do, but –"

"But nothing!" Danielle exclaimed. "I've seen you two together."

"I know, but listen, Danielle. My job takes me out of the country every week. His job has him sitting behind a desk every day. If we did get married –"

"Oh, my god!" Danielle exclaimed. "He proposed! I thought you were just talking about moving out of my guest house and shacking up. He actually asked you to marry him?"

Annie couldn't hold up the subterfuge any longer. It's one thing to lie to a mark on a mission. It's quite another to lie to her sister about her personal life. "Yes," she said quietly. The next thing Annie knew, Danielle was around the counter and enveloping her in a bear hug.

"Oh, my god! I'm so happy for you!"

"Danielle? Danielle, I haven't said yes yet."

The hug loosened, and after a few seconds, disappeared completely as Danielle stepped back, her hands on Annie's shoulders as she looked directly into her eyes. "What did you say?"

"I haven't accepted yet."

"Why not!"

"Umm, I – you see –"

"You were scared, weren't you?" Danielle asked quietly.

Annie nodded. "It wasn't a normal proposal, we were just talking, and the topic came up, and all of a sudden, it was there, out in the open."

Danielle dropped her hands from Annie's shoulders and grabbed up her left hand – her ringless left hand. "Oh, okay, so it wasn't all candy and roses, huh?"

Annie shook her head. "What do I do, Dani? I love him, I do, but I'm not sure we're ready for happily ever after."

Danielle blew out a raspberry, "Pbbt on happily ever after. You two belong together. Go to work, tell him you love him, then tell him yes."

At Danielle's words, Annie felt a weight lift from her, and a bright smile lit up her face. She pulled Danielle to her, crushing her in a hug before releasing her, grabbing up her travel mug and running out to her car.

Auggie heard his door slide open, and he turned expectantly. He'd been waiting for Annie to arrive for an hour now, but when it was a scent other than Annie's, he schooled his disappointed features and greeted his boss. "Joan."

"Morning, Auggie. I'm going to need you today."

"Thought you needed me every day," Auggie smirked.

Joan ignored Auggie's wit and sat a file on his desk. "Here's the info. Be ready to leave in 10 minutes."

"What?" Auggie asked, but Joan was already gone. He quickly opened the folder and ran his fingers across the Braille type.

Walking as fast as she could without appearing too anxious to get to her desk, Annie entered the DPD, her eyes immediately going to the glass windows and sliding door of Auggie's office. It was empty.

She stopped dead in her tracks, looking wildly around her. A good majority of the staff weren't at their desks. What the hell, she thought. Was there an early meeting she didn't know about? She walked quickly over to her desk, picking up the piece of paper laid on her keyboard. A meeting in the conference room, all available hands.

"Damn it," she said, dropping the paper and walking quickly up the stairs to the conference room adjacent to Joan's office.

It was in full swing, and she slipped in, standing at the back so her lateness wouldn't be readily noticed. Joan was at the front talking, a few tech support people rushing around behind her, handing out files, pulling up screens onto the walls behind her boss.

Her eyes moved around the room until they lit on the back of a wavy brown-haired man standing at the front. Her heart swelled a bit as their shared phone call of last night came back to her. She'd been apprehensive about it when she woke, but she knew, now that she saw him, what her answer was going to be.

He began to speak, and Annie's thoughts were drawn back to the purpose of this meeting.

"Understood," she heard him say. "When do I go in?"

"Immediately," Joan replied. "If no one has any further questions?"

The room remain silent, so Joan nodded, and those gathered turned and walked toward Annie, who was standing in front of the door. She stepped to the side to allow them to pass. Auggie was last, and she reached out to grab him at the elbow.

He'd known when she walked into the room, and he'd nearly lost his composure. He'd blinked twice and concentrated on Joan's words for the next few minutes until they were dismissed. He lagged behind, knowing Annie would, as well, and when he felt her touch on his elbow, he stopped walking.

"Are we alone?"

"Yes, everyone's gone. Auggie, about last night, I –"

"Annie," Auggie interrupted, though his heart was begging him to let her talk, and his body was begging him to pull her closer. "I can't – we can't – right now. I'm going into the field."

"What? Why? How? Where?"

Auggie chuckled, "Which one should I answer first?"

"Just tell me, Auggie," Annie pleaded. "We don't have much time. Joan's coming back."

"A situation's come up, and they need me to go undercover, as a tech consultant, to weed out someone we think are selling government secrets at a computer company," he summarized.

"Wow, that's great," Annie said, full of pride for her boyfriend, who'd been begging Joan to do more field work. "Do they need me to go with you?"

The look on Auggie's face gave her all the answer she needed. "But why? We always work together."

"I've got to go in undercover, Annie. More than one new person suddenly showing up, one who knows nothing about computers, would look suspicious," he explained, regret showing in every feature of his face.

"But –" Annie started, then stopped herself. Swallowing down her disappointment, she asked instead, "How long will you be gone?"

"It depends. Maybe a few days, maybe a few weeks."

"Weeks?" Annie croaked. She opened her mouth to say something, anything, but Joan took that moment to arrive at the conference room door. "But –"

"Auggie, let's go. Time is of the essence here."

Auggie nodded, "Be right there, Joan." Then, as Joan's heels clicked away, he grabbed Annie by the shoulders. "I'll be back soon, Annie. If I can, I'll call you tonight, okay?"

Then he was gone, and Annie stood still, watching his retreating form as he followed Joan down the hall. "But I was going to say yes," she said to no one but the empty room.

Chapter 3

Annie stood in the doorway of the empty conference room for a few more minutes, her eyes following Auggie as he spoke with Joan in her office. He then spoke with Stu and Barber who scurried back into Tech Ops. Files and folders were passed back and forth, and then he was gone.

A few days, he said, or maybe a few weeks. She couldn't bear the thought of being without him for that long without giving him her answer. She almost ran after him as he disappeared through the glass doors of the department. Almost. Then she thought, that wouldn't be fair.

He'd been given a huge opportunity by Joan about this assignment, and it wouldn't be fair to mess that up. Still, though, she regretted not talking further last night, or giving him an answer. Or, as she'd wanted to as soon as she hung up, jump into her car and go over to his place.

She took a deep breath and walked back down to her desk. A half an hour later, she still sat there, chin resting in her elbow as she half-heartedly read through her e-mails. Her eyes kept glancing over at tech ops, though she knew Auggie's desk would be empty. She wished they had made their relationship known to the staff so she could, at least, have a photo of them on her desk to keep her company.

Joan's arrival pulled her out of her thoughts. "Hello, Joan. Got something for me?"

"Yes, I do," Joan said, dropping a thick bundle of folders on her desk. "And for once, it doesn't involve a plane ticket."

"Oh?" Annie asked, at once intrigued.

"Russian translation job. Half of it in the documents here, half audio recordings. Auggie's going to be out of office for a few days, so you can use his desk for the latter part of it," she said, before turning to walk away.

"Auggie's gone?" Annie asked. "You have any idea how long?" Then, as Joan's eyebrows rose, she added, "I just don't want to be halfway through this when he comes back. He's kind of proprietary about his workspace."

Joan nodded, "Then why don't you do the audio recordings first?"

Annie nodded and watched her boss walk away. One day, she thought. One day, she'd learn how to ask Joan a question and get the answer she'd been trying to angle for. Until then, she thought, she'd wait. She'd work, and she'd wait for Auggie to return so she could give him her answer.

She stood, gathering the thick stack of files and walked into tech ops. Auggie's desk sat vacant, with the exception, Annie saw with a smile, of a half empty cup of coffee by his keyboard. Picking it up, she brought it to her lips, inhaling. In addition to the coffee scent, she swore she could smell his aftershave, as well.

She was about to take a drink when a sudden voice startled her.

"Annie! What are you doing?"

She whipped her head around to see Stu standing there, his mouth agape at her appearance in front of Auggie's desk, drinking Auggie's coffee.

"Hey, Stu," she greeted, taking a sip of the cooled coffee before setting it on the table and sitting down at his desk.

"Hi. Again, what are you doing? You know Auggie doesn't like it when other people sit at his desk," he said nervously.

Annie rolled her eyes at the young a/v tech. "Auggie doesn't like it when you guys sit here. I'm sure he won't take offense. Besides, he's gone for a while, isn't he? I've got some audio recordings to process and translate, and Joan said I could use Auggie's equipment."

"Oh, okay," Stu said. "So you know Auggie's out in the field?"

"Yeah, I was at the meeting, and Auggie told me himself."

Annie watched Stu as he looked around and then walked up to her. He sat in the free chair beside Auggie's desk and whispered, "Did you know I'm his contact back here?"

"Umm, no, I didn't," Annie answered, whispering, as well, though she wasn't sure what was on Stu's mind.

"Well, I am," he answered, a touch of excitement showing through his dark brown eyes. Annie knew Stu didn't do much "handling," and he obviously was excited at the prospect. "And I know it's not protocol, but if you need to send him any kind of message, I can relay it to him while he's out there."

Annie's eyes opened wide at Stu's words. "What –" she said louder than she meant to. Then, lowering her voice to the whisper of their conversation, she said, "What are you talking about? Why would I need to send him any kind of message?"

Stu rolled his eyes at her in obvious annoyance. "Annie, I know my boss. Hell, I've known him longer than you have. I know you guys are, you know, attached." Then, as Annie began shaking her head, he held up a finger to silence her. "I also know you're trying to keep it quiet. I haven't told anyone, and I'm positive no one else knows."

Annie nodded, though she was a bit disconcerted that Stu had figured it out. "Thank you, Stu. You're a good friend to keep this secret."

Stu smiled at her compliment. "So, is there anything you want me to tell him?"

Annie shook her head, "No, not right now. Though I'm glad to see he's in good hands. You'll take care of him for me, won't you?"

Stu smiled and nodded. "Don't worry about him, Annie. Before he lost his sight, he was one of the best operatives the CIA ever had. He once told me it's like riding a bike. You never forget."

As he stood, Annie stood, as well, stopping his retreat. "I know Joan didn't just send him out there on his own. Do you know who's his on-site handler?"

Stu nodded, "It's Michael Hayes. You can trust him, he's one of the good guys."

"Thanks, Stu," Annie said. "Keep in touch, okay?"

Stu nodded and walked back to his desk.

Annie sat back down at Auggie's desk, feeling a bit out of sorts that she was there, in his space. But she didn't feel as lost as she had a few minutes ago. Stu was now on their side, and though she trusted Auggie with everything that was in her that he'd arrive back home safe, she felt better knowing he was in good hands. Michael Hayes was a stand-up operative, a by-the-books man that she knew would keep Auggie safe. If she wasn't able to accompany Auggie on the mission herself, she felt a bit better that he was in safe hands.

Annie lay in bed that night, trying to will herself to sleep. But it was still early – at least earlier than she normally went to sleep. Her initial idea to sleep away her nervousness and the missing of her Auggie was backfiring, as he was all she could think of as she lay there.

The ringing of her cellphone jerked her up off her pillow, and she nearly got tangled in her blankets as she reached for it on her night stand.

"Hello?"

"Hey, babe."

"Auggie," she breathed in relief.

"Yep, it's me. Just wanted to let you know I'm here, I'm settled in, and I miss you."

Emotion bubbled up in Annie at his words. "I miss you, too."

"I hear you've been keeping my seat warm for me."

"Stu's got a big mouth," Annie said. "I've got some translations to work on, and Joan said I could."

"It's okay, though it'll make work that much more difficult to return to when all I can picture is you sitting on my lap there."

"Auggie," Annie moaned. "Please don't tease me, not when you're not here to do something about it."

Auggie laughed. "Okay, no more pillow talk. I just remembered I said I'd call you tonight, and I didn't want you to worry."

"I'm not. I hear you're in good hands."

"Oh, really? Joan actually tell you that?"

"No, I've got my sources."

"Which will remain anonymous, I'm sure," he replied.

"You could probably guess, though."

"Stu could make a decent operative himself."

Annie laughed, "That he could. Did you know he knows about us?"

"Yeah, he told me when I checked in with him a while ago. Are you okay with that?"

"If it were anyone else, I'd say no, but I like Stu."

"So do I, which is why I swore him to secrecy on pain of me letting loose some of his secrets."

"Oh, really?" Annie asked, suddenly interested. "Like what?"

"Uh-uh, only if he squeals."

The silence hung between them for a few seconds, and Annie could almost feel the tension between them over the phone lines. "Auggie?"

"Yeah?"

"Remember the last time we were on the phone like this?"

"Annie, please."

She could hear the pleading in his voice, and it almost undid her. Sometimes their jobs were so unfair. "I just want you to know something."

"What?"

"I can wait. Until you get back, I can wait to talk about it, about us, you know what I mean?"

"Yeah, I do." She could hear him breathe out in relief. "Thanks, Annie."

"You're welcome."

She could hear him suddenly speak to someone, and his voice was muffled. "I've gotta go now, Annie. I love you."

"I love you, too."

Hanging the phone up, Annie huddled back down into her blankets, grabbing the extra pillow on her bed that Auggie used when he spent the night occasionally. She held it to her chest, closing her eyes on a groan as she realized she could smell him on the smooth fabric.

It was going to be a long few days, or weeks, she thought. Why hadn't she told him yes 24 hours ago?

Chapter 4

Annie couldn't believe how slow the week progressed. She'd kept herself busy with her translations, delving completely into the work until she could think of nothing else. And then she'd see something or hear something that she knew Auggie would have found interesting or funny, and she'd miss him all over again.

After that first night when he'd been able to call, she'd waited deep into the night, cellphone clutched in her hand, waiting for him to call. She fell asleep like that last night, and woke up to her phone battery dying. She had to charge it up on the way to work, only to have to stow it in the glove compartment during her work hours.

Stu had been no help, despite his previous promise to keep her posted. It seemed, though Annie couldn't be sure, that Joan had gotten to him. Stu was too sweet and trusting for his own good, she thought. She appreciated his efforts, though.

Now, as she finished up the Russian translation job to hand back into Joan, she looked at the time. 4pm. On a Friday. Any other week at this time, when she wasn't out of the country on a mission, Auggie would be wheeling and dealing to leave work early so they could hit the local bar. Now, though, it seemed she'd be drinking by herself.

"Hey, Annie."

"Hey, Stu, what's up?"

Annie saw his face shutter and close, and he started to stammer –

"I'm not angling for information. That was just a general greeting."

"Oh, okay. I'm fine. Listen, I know you usually go out to have a drink at this time, and I was wondering if you wouldn't mind some company."

Annie's mouth hung open at his offer. "Stu, are you asking me out?"

"No," he said quickly. Then, with a sigh, he said, "Let's just say I made a promise to a certain someone to buy you a drink tonight and leave it at that, okay?"

Annie smiled, then chuckled. "Okay, Stu. Tell you what, we'll leave in an hour."

"Perfect."

"Here you go, Annie," Stu said, setting two bottles of beer on the table in front of her. He had one for himself, and he sat down across from her.

"Did Auggie make you promise to get me drunk?" Annie said, eyeing her two drinks to Stu's single one.

"Well, you see –"

"No, I made him promise to buy me one, as well," a familiar voice said directly behind Annie.

Nearly knocking the table over with her haste, Annie stood up suddenly and turned. There he was, looking just as dashing and handsome as he did when she'd seen him days ago. "Auggie."

His name on her lips was the best welcome home Auggie could wish for, and he opened his arms to her. Her fervor in grabbing hold of him nearly knocked him off his legs, and as such, he did stumble back one step.

"I missed you," he said into the swath of hair that covered her shoulder, as he buried his head into her neck.

"I missed you, too," Annie said, her voice thick with emotion.

"You're not going to do this every time I go out in the field, are you?" he laughed.

"No," Annie said, extricating herself from his arms and feeling slightly embarrassed at her display in such a public place.

Grabbing his hand, she led them back to the table. She smiled her thanks to Stu, who returned it, and saluting her with his beer, took a drink and left the table. She slid Auggie's beer over to him.

"So, I take it the mission was a success?" she asked.

Auggie nodded, "Done and done."

"Good. I was kind of worried, you know, 'cause I didn't hear from you, and –"

Hearing the sadness in her voice, Auggie took a long swig of his beer before setting it aside and reached across the table with both hands, palms up. When her palms crossed his, he flexed his fingers into hers. "Annie, I know this isn't just about me being away on a mission. Days ago, I proposed. It wasn't how I'd ever dreamed of proposing to the woman of my dreams, but think about it. Nothing about our relationship has been conventional. But I'm willing to take it slow and wait. Wait for you to be ready, wait for the right moment, and wait for maybe when both of us are in country long enough to enjoy the moment."

Annie couldn't quite believe what he was saying. After all these days, after dreaming of all the different ways she'd tell him yes, she'd love to marry him, he was taking it back? She even made a list of how to accept his proposal in as many languages as she could think of. "Auggie, I don't –"

"You don't have to give me an answer now, and I don't want you to think you had to just because I asked. So, why don't we just go back to normal, and treat tonight like every other Friday? Have a few drinks, tell each other about our days, and head back to my place?"

She didn't answer, and her hands never twitched on his palms. He started to get nervous and inwardly cursed himself for his loose tongue on the phone days ago. "Annie?"

"What if I don't want to go back to normal?" Annie asked, swallowing to clear the thickness she suddenly found there. "What if I said all I did this past week was wait for you to return, hoping that you'd return to me alive? What if I said I slept every night this week clutching my phone just in case you called?"

"Annie, sweetheart, please don't say what I think you're going to say. We can make this work," Auggie said, clenching her hands in his, leaning across the table to her.

"I know we can make this work," Annie said with a small laugh. "That's why I also spent this week trying to find a clever way to say yes, but I don't feel like being clever right now. I feel like saying one thing to you, August Anderson. Yes, I will marry you."

Auggie's hands froze in hers, and his mouth dropped open. Had he heard her right? True, his hearing had increased fivefold since he lost his sight, but there's no way she just accepted his proposal, is there? "Annie, my love, please, say it again."

"Only if you propose again," Annie countered.

A huge smile crossed Auggie's face, and he released Annie's hands. He slid his hand into his pocket to retrieve the ring he'd bought earlier in the week and stood. He'd never done this in his life, and though the situation was far from ideal, it didn't matter to him at that point. They'd started their relationship at this tavern – hell, at this very table – and starting the next chapter of their lives here just seemed to fit.

A couple steps around the table, and he knelt before her. He found her left hand easily enough, and slid the large diamond and gold ring on her ring finger. "Anne Catherine Walker, will you marry me?"

"Yes."

Her answer, more than a whisper, but audible enough to him, was immediately followed by a great uproar around them as a chorus of catcalls, whistles and applause echoed around the establishment.

Auggie laughed and stood, bringing Annie up with him. "I guess we've got an audience."

"Guess there's no hiding this now," Annie said, looking around the place at the smiling group, led mainly by Stu, who was clapping the loudest.

"Should we give them a show, future Mrs. Anderson?"

"Oh, absolutely," Annie said, wrapping her arms around his waist as he pulled her to him, laying the most passionate of kisses she'd ever had in her life on her lips. The chorus grew louder, and Annie would have been blushing with embarrassment by now, had Auggie not turned her away from them and bent her over his arm as he continued to seal their commitment.

THE END


	19. The Workout

Title: The Workout

Category: TV Shows » Covert Affairs

Author: Beth - Geek Chick

Language: English, Rating: Rated: T

Genre: Hurt/Comfort/Romance

Published: 10-04-10, Updated: 11-01-10

Chapters: 5, Words: 6,418

Chapter 1

"30 minutes, as usual, Auggie?"

"Make it 20 this time, Ned, thanks," Auggie said, stepping up onto the treadmill. He heard several beeps while the Ned set the machine. He started walking as it sped up, and soon was at a steady pace. The rhythmic, staccato beat echoed through the empty gym.

He preferred to workout in these earlier hours. He could concentrate better without the constant cacophony of others' conversations and the clanging of weights. The CIA had an impressive gym, and it was open to all employees. Some, though, had the habit of using the place as an unofficial dating agency, and there's nothing he hated worse than being hit on while he worked out. He'd inquired when the least populated hours were and adjusted his schedule.

He'd been hard at it for the past year, and he'd been able to get in 45 minutes without interruption.

Until today. He heard the door open, and thought maybe Ned had re-entered the room, but the footfalls were wrong. Angling his head toward the sound, he tried to gauge the details, never breaking his stride. Whoever it was, they were wearing running shoes, which was different than heels or dress shoes, and the change it caused in the stride made it difficult to pinpoint the person.

He heard the treadmill two down from him start up and the steady beat of shoes hitting the rubber mat. Whoever it was, they weren't running, only walking at a steady pace. As they didn't make any attempt to conversation, and made relatively little noise, Auggie continued on.

Several minutes passed in relative silence. Then he heard a sharp intake of breath and a clattering as they stepped off the treadmill.

"Damn it."

Now, that he recognized. The voice sounded like it was in pain, and he felt up onto the control for the stop button. He waited until the treadmill had slowed him to a walk before he stepped off. "Annie? Are you okay? What are you doing here?"

"I'm fine," she said, though the words sounded strained. And ever since he'd met her, Auggie knew those words held a lot more information than they implied. He took a few steps toward her, right hand outreached. He felt her fingers on his, tugging down. She apparently had sat down, and he followed the tug of her hand, sitting down next to her.

"What's going on?" he said.

"Nothing, really. I had strained my ankle a few days ago, remember?"

"Yes."

"I swear, this job'd be much easier if I didn't have to wear heels on undercover missions. Half the time, I wind up running from gunfire or running after people. It's not easy to do in three-inch stilettos, you know."

Laughing, Auggie said, "No, actually, I wouldn't know, but you have my sympathies. I take it you were ordered to rest your ankle, ice it for 20 minutes at a time, and ease back into walking on it. And Joan has taken you off of field duty for a minimum of two weeks."

"I take it you've been through this before," Annie said, reaching down to untie her shoe.

"A time or two," he said, smiling. "I just thought those kitten heels of yours would be the death of me, but I take it they're killing you, as well."

Annie peeled off her sock and winced at the sight of the purple blotch that circled around her ankle and lower calf. "I guess I should have waited a few more days before trying the treadmill. I hope this won't set back my recovery."

"Here, let me," Auggie said, shifting around to face her. Reaching out, he felt her leg as she stretched it out to him. Gently running his fingers over the calf and down to her ankle, he felt the slightly warmed skin. "It's badly bruised," he said, and holding her foot, slowly rotated it around. "Range of motion isn't compromised. How does this feel?" he asked, pressing his thumb against the ball of her foot.

Hearing her sharp intake of breath, Auggie released the pressure and slid his thumb down her instep, "Did that hurt?"

"N-No, not really."

"It sounded like it did."

"It didn't hurt, Auggie."

"Then why -"

"Do you really have to ask?"

Confusion clearing, Auggie smiled. "No, no, I guess not." He knew he should release her, but as she arched her foot into his hand, he heard her breath deepen. A curious warmth spread down his spine, and he slowly ran his fingers down her arch, eliciting another gasp from her.

He felt her pulling her foot away from him, and he released her. As the unexpectedly electric moment eased, he cleared his throat and eased back away from her. "You - you should definitely not try the treadmill for a while."

"Okay," Annie replied, surprised at the husky tone of her own voice as she eased her foot back into shoe. Taking his hand, she allowed him to help her stand back up. "Thanks."

"If you want, I can show you some exercises and stretches that'll help," he said, not releasing her hand. "You really should keep away from the treadmill for a while."

"If you wouldn't mind, I'd really like that," Annie said, wondering at the sudden bout of shyness she was experiencing. She looked up at his face and saw her own conflicting emotions mirrored back at her. "Guess I should get going. Are - are you going to finish your workout?"

"No, it's okay." Auggie said. "I can come back later. Listen, I usually have breakfast here after I work out. Wanna join me?"

Smiling, Annie said, "Yes, I would, thanks." She took his arm, and leaning on it more than usual, she followed him towards the locker rooms.

Chapter 2

Annie slid her blazer back over her shoulders in the locker room. Gingerly standing, she glanced at her reflection in the mirror and scoffed at the effect of sneakers coupled with a dark blue pantsuit. She wished she'd had a dark pair of comfortable shoes to wear, but her white running shoes were the only thing available. So much for trying to look professional, she thought. She heard a knock on the locker room door, and it opened a couple inches. "Annie?"

Auggie didn't hear her answer, but the squeak of rubber on tile echoed through the open door. Her normal confident stride was replaced by a shuffle and step. He opened the door wider and held out his hand to her. Cool fingers slid into his, and he curled his around them. As they made their way into the hall, her hand slid up to its accustomed place at his bicep.

They continued on for a dozen more steps before he felt her slow and a whispered oath escape her lips. He stopped and, removing her hand from his bicep, changed their positions. For a fleeting second, he thought of swooping her up in his arms and carrying her, but knew her pride wouldn't allow him to do that. So he moved to her right side and hooked his arm under hers, relieving some of her weight onto him as they walked.

However, when he went to continue walking, she didn't follow. "Come on, Annie, let me play the hero this time," he cajoled, smiling down at her. "I promise, I won't tell anyone you had to lean on me."

"Cross your heart?" Annie teased, gripping his arm and continuing their walk down the hall. With his strength holding her, the pressure on her ankle lessened, and she leaned into his side.

"And hope to die," Auggie whispered, as they walked down the hall toward the elevators. The earlier unexpected electricity between them bubbled up again as her body brushed up against his with every step. Blinking against its suddenness, he involuntarily tightened his grip on her arm. He wasn't that naive not to notice the subtly growing attraction building between them over the past few months. And, he thought to himself, he wasn't stupid enough to force it or act on such fleeting feelings until he was sure what they were.

The rest of their walk passed in silence, and although Annie enjoyed their usual constant banter and his playful flirting, it was moments like this that she enjoyed the most, where they could just be quiet in each others' presence. It allowed her to think about him, about them, without being noticed or asked what she was thinking about.

And, she mused, if he knew what she'd been mulling over the past few weeks, truly, it'd shock him to his core. Annie had come back from Sri Lanka bruised and battered, but also alone. Ben was gone, and once she grieved and accepted that fact, a strange sense of peace washed over her, and the weight of the past few years lifted off her shoulders. She'd felt free and able to fall asleep at night without wondering where he was or why he'd left her.

Everyone, though, when she'd returned to work after two weeks of forced vacation mandated by Joan, treated her with kid gloves, as though one wrong word would cause her to shatter. Everyone but one person.

As they made their way into the food court, he ushered her past the tables and chairs to a booth in the back, where he instructed her to slide in and keep her foot up on the bench. "I'll be right back," Auggie said, walking away.

By the time he made it back, balancing a tray with one hand, Annie had pulled out two pain pills. He placed the tray on the table and slid a container of orange juice and a cylindrical object wrapped in paper over to her. "What's this?" Annie asked, picking it up.

"Breakfast burrito. Their selection is rather thin this time of the morning," Auggie said, unwrapping his own. "So, you gonna tell me what you were doing in the gym at 6am on a Friday?"

Annie opened her juice and downed half of it, swallowing her pain pills. "You'll just laugh."

"Try me."

"Well, ever since I got back two months ago, people around here have walked on eggshells around me, which is bad enough. But then I twist my ankle, and suddenly everyone's my friend, offering to be my courier, go get me coffee, hold my hand as I'm walking down the hall. It's gotten a little overwhelming."

She unwrapped her burrito and took a bite before continuing. "I'd wanted to do some treadmill work, just walking to build my strength back up, all week, but the place has been packed. I couldn't see myself trying to concentrate with all those helping hands."

Auggie leaned back and took a drink of his coffee. "What makes you think I would laugh at that?"

"Because I'm being silly, hiding from people who just want to help me.""You let me help you."

"That's different, Auggie, and you know it."

"Different how? I've known you for as long as they have. What makes my form of friendship different than theirs?" Auggie knew he was pushing, but couldn't help himself.

"Because you're genuine. You were there for me when I first stepped in these doors all wide-eyed and innocent, but you were also the only one there for me when my entire world collapsed."

Blinking at the meaning of her own words, Annie picked up her orange juice and sipped at it. The silence stretched between them, and she looked over at him. He still held his coffee, and his lips were curved into a small smile. "Please say something," she whispered.

"So I didn't hurt your foot in the gym when I was holding it?"

"No."

"So why did you pull away?"

"I wasn't sure what was happening," Annie whispered.

Setting down his coffee, Auggie held his hand out, palm up, to her. She placed hers in it, and he turned it over, so her palm was facing up, as well. The light touch sent a now familiar thrill up his arm. And if he understood what she was saying, Annie was similarly affected. Lightly pressing his thumb against her palm, he glided it along her skin until he reached her fingers. "So, when I did this, you weren't feeling - pain?"

"N-no."

"What were you feeling, Annie?"

"Do - do you really have to ask?" she repeated, as she again saw her own conflicting emotions on his face.

"No," Auggie said softly. "You're not going to pull away this time, are you?" he asked, repeating the gesture.

Instead of answering, Annie turned her hand into his and lightly scraped her nails across his palm and fingers. His mouth dropped open, and she heard the sharp intake of his breath. "No, I'm not going to pull away."

"Think maybe we should do something about this?" Auggie asked, as she continued to caress his palm.

"Well, you did promise to help with my rehabilitation," Annie said. "How about if I come over your place tonight?"

"Sounds great," he said, smiling.

Chapter 3

Auggie checked his watch as he heard the light knock at his door. 8:05 PM. Running a hand through his hair, he chuckled to himself at the surge of nervousness he suddenly felt. God, Anderson, he thought to himself, what are you, 17 again? It's like you've never invited a woman to your place.

But it's not just another woman, he knew. Annie never giggled incessantly or cooed over him like his most recent attempt at romance. Even his months-long op at "dating" Liza usually ended up with her drinking several glasses of wine and ripping his clothes off. Had he not had an ulterior motive, he would have let that die an early death, as well.

No, he thought as he walked toward his door, Annie was - Annie. He'd never been able to pinpoint his attraction to her, never been able to put into words why he'd set her apart from every other woman he'd met.

Sliding the door open, he said, "Hey, Annie, come in."

"How did you know it was me?" she asked, slowly stepping across the threshold and walking in a few steps.

"I - well, you said you'd come over, and -" Auggie stuttered before giving up on trying to answer intelligently and slid the door closed. "Don't you know I could always tell when you're near?" he asked teasingly.

He felt her hand against his chest, "Auggie, don't."

The low tone of her voice and warmth of her hand, evident even through the thickness of his shirt stopped him in his tracks. Damn, he thought. He was in deep. Taking a deep breath, he placed his hand on hers and smiled. "Sorry, Annie. I just -"

"It's okay, just don't pretend, please."

Auggie nodded, not trusting himself to open his mouth again. Clasping her hand, he pulled it off his chest and led her to the couch. "You're walking better."

"Yeah, well, pain pills and a well-wrapped Ace bandage will do wonders," she said, sitting down. "Kind of going stir crazy sitting behind my desk all day. Didn't realize how much I missed going out on missions until now. But it does have one perk."

Auggie walked into his kitchen and opened his refrigerator, pulling out two beers. "I'd make a flippant comment about being stuck behind a desk, but I won't."

He walked back over to the couch and sat the bottles on the table, taking a seat next to her. "What's the perk?"

"Well, I do have a hell of a view," Annie replied softly, taking a long drink from her beer and stealing a glance toward him.

"I'd have to take your word for it."

"My back's toward the window, Auggie."

"Then what - Ohh," Auggie said, suddenly catching her meaning. "Been staring, have we?"

"Not staring, just noticing."

"Now who's teasing?" Auggie said, leaning back against the cushions and taking a drink from his own beer. "How fair is it that you get to, but I'm not allowed?"

"Fair enough," she said, "It's just - I hear you use that same tone with other women, and I thought -"

"Don't, Annie," Auggie said, reaching out his hand toward her. He felt her fingers take his, and he tugged gently. She slid across the couch, and he released her hand, placing his arm around her shoulder. He felt the same electricity spark through his arm as she rested her head against his shoulder. He laughed lightly, "God, I feel like a teenager around you. When did that happen?"

"A teenager?"

"Nervous."

"Never thought you'd be the type to be nervous around a girl," Annie said.

"Never have been, until now," Auggie said, all traces of teasing gone from his voice. He was pondering the meaning of his own statement when he felt her shift and her fingers rest against his chest.

"Auggie, can I kiss you?"

His eyebrows rose at the statement, "You're asking me?"

"I was going to go ahead and do it, but I didn't want to startle you."

A brilliant smile crossed his face. "Thanks for the consideration. Yes, Annie, you can kiss me, if you want."

Her fingers moved from his chest to his jaw, and his skin tingled where they traced his lower lip. It was soon replaced by her lips, hesitant and slow as they pressed against his. A soft sigh escaped her lips, and as the its breath caressed his skin, he raised his hand and placed it on the back of her head. Just as gently, he returned her caress, She tasted of sunshine and beer, he thought as they broke apart.

"Wow," he said softly, resting his forehead against hers. "Annie?"

"Yes?"

"You can kiss me again, if you want."

Chapter 4

He felt her fingers hesitantly touch his jaw as her lips came near again. The same soft caress brushed over his mouth again, and the thrill he experienced earlier that morning ran through him, this time across his chest. He inhaled, catching a dizzying mixture of her perfume and beer. His head began to swim, and his hand clenched into her hair as he leaned further into her.

A steadying hand on his chest stopped him. Her lips brushed against his once more, and the hand pushed him away slightly. He eased the grip in her hair and pulled away, allowing the soft strands to glide through his fingers as he let go. Blinking several times to clear his thinking, he cleared his throat.

"Could you put on some music?" Annie asked, sliding away from him on the couch a few inches.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, sure," Auggie said, blinking a few more times to clear the subtle fog that had engulfed him a moment ago. He stood and made his way over to his stereo. Soon soft jazz echoed through his speaker system, and he stayed there, allowing the strains of the music wash over him.

Annie sat on the couch, leaning back against the cushions and watched him. His back was toward her, and she allowed herself to stare at his muscled form. She wasn't sure what had just happened, but one thing was for sure. The tension she had experienced that morning, from the moment he ran his finger down her foot, and then later down the palm of her hand, was still there. The feeling thrilled and frightened her at the same time. And given his response to her kiss, his feelings weren't very different from hers.

But there was also one obstacle that stopped her, that compelled her to push him away. Although their growing attraction for one another caused her heart to race, the organ in her chest was also still hurting, stll aching from Ben. Would it ever go away, she thought.

A dull throb began in her ankle again, and she groaned inwardly. She bent and began to untie her shoe. Crossing her legs, she let it drop to the ground, relieving her aching ankle.

Hearing a loud clunk behind him, Auggie tensed. "Annie? What was that sound?"

"My shoe hitting the floor," Annie replied, not able to keep the pain from her voice.

He heard her inhale through her teeth and turned away from the stereo. Caught up in his own thoughts of how soft her lips felt against his, he'd forgotten for a few minutes about her injury. Making his way swiftly to the couch, he sat down beside her again and held out his hands toward her.

There was a few seconds of silence, then he heard her shifting on the couch, and a bandaged foot was placed into his hands. "Does it feel any better?"

"Some. But over the counter medicine only goes so far, you know. Plus, I'm not sure my bandage wrapping skills are effective."

Auggie nodded, and finding the end of the wrapping, began to peel it away. "The swelling seems to have gone down quite a bit. I think you just wrapped it too tightly."

Swiftly removing the rest of the bandage, Auggie handed it to her. Then shifting on the cushion, he placed her calf over his legs and began to soothe his fingers over the puckered skin where the bandage had pinched. Her skin was cool, except where the ugly bruise marred it. He lessened the pressure of his fingers when he reached this area, turning his ministrations into a caress. She took an audible breath at this, and he stilled, wondering if she was going to pull back as she did before. When she didn't, he smiled and continued.

"What colors are the bruise?" he asked.

"It was deep red at first, now it's started to dull down to a purple, green around the edges."

"Did they show you how to bandage it?"

"No, just put a bag of ice on it and gave me a list of instructions," Annie replied. "Why? Did I do that bad of a job?"

"The bandage has got to support the foot, not beat it into submission," he said, smiling over at her. "You could have asked me for help, you know."

Annie frowned, "You're busy enough as it is, Auggie. I didn't want to burden you, and I was already dying enough of embarrassment as it was. Falling off high heels is so girly."

Hearing a loud huff, Annie looked up at him to see his brilliant smile gone and that all-knowing frown had replaced it. "What?"

"A burden? Annie, you know me better than that. And it's not girly, it was an accident. Everybody has them."

"I know," Annie replied softly, leaning her head against the back of the couch. "How long do you think it'll take to heal?"

Running his hands once more over her foot, Auggie released it. Noticing she didn't pull it out of his lap, he rested one hand on her calf. "With any kind of injury or hurt, it depends. How much care is given at the initial blow, how much damage is done, if anyone's there to help you. But usually it's just how much care is taken throughout and giving it time."

Blinking back a sudden stinging in her eyes at the subtle double meaning of his words, Annie picked up the bandage and placed it on the hand holding her calf.

Before she pulled away, Auggie turned his hand and clasped her fingers and squeezed them gently. He took the bandage and slowly wrapped her foot and ankle. When he was done, he released her foot, and she did pull it away this time.

Annie bent down to retrieve her shoe. Her eyes glanced across the slightly cluttered table in front of the couch, and she saw a stack of playing cards. When she'd finished tying up the laces, she reached over and picked them up. "Auggie? This is going to sound stupid and inconsiderate, but why is there a deck of cards on your table?"

Laughing, Auggie took a drink from his beer bottle, "Feel around the edges, Annie."

She did, and noticed Braille dots next to the number and suit. "Oh, this is so cool. I had no idea they made these."

"Are you a card player?"

Annie looked over at him and saw his grin go from wide and friendly to a slightly devilish smile, complete with raised eyebrows. "Gin rummy?" she asked.

"You're on. Loser buys drinks tomorrow night."

Shuffling the deck, Annie said, "Tomorrow night?"

"When we go out to Allen's."

"Is that your subtle way of asking me out, Anderson?"

"Well..."

"What makes you so sure I'd say yes?"

"Well, I'm not - I thought..."

Grinning at his flustered stuttering, Annie leaned forward and, not bothering to ask for permission, pressed a soft kiss against his lips. "Be prepared to lose your money, Anderson."

Chapter 5: Chapter 5

"Are you actually accusing me of cheating, Annie?" Auggie asked, taking a drink of his beer, the first of many he planned on having at Annie's expense after routing her during the previous night's gin rummy marathon.

"Look, all I'm saying is, I'm going to learn Braille before playing with that deck again. How am I supposed to trust that those dots only say King of Hearts?"

"What else could they say?" Auggie said, laughing. Reaching out, he clasped her hand in his. "If you want to learn Braille, I could teach you. For instance, this -" he said, turning her hand over and pressing his fingers into a pattern on her palm, "is the letter A."

Annie thought she would like to learn Braille one day and add it to her language repertoire, but she also knew that having the dots pressed into her palm while Auggie held her hand would be the worst possible way. Each indention his finger made into the over-sensitive skin traveled up her arm and slid along her spine.

"Auggie?"

"Yeah?" he whispered, continuing to press seemingly random into her palm.

"That - that's more than one letter you're pressing, isn't it?" she asked, leaning towards him until only a couple of inches separated them.

"I'm not sure what you're talking about, Annie," Auggie whispered, feeling her move closer.

"What are you saying to my hand, Auggie?" Annie said deliberately. "You know it's rude to talk in another language in front of others?"

"You think I'm being rude?"

"I think you're flirting with me," Annie whispered before closing the distance between them and placing a light kiss on his mouth. "I also think it's time for some shots."

"Let me, you're injured," he said, letting go of her hands.

"No, actually, I'm walking better," she said quietly, "due to some first class ministrations by own personal medic."

Annie stood and headed for the bar. The place was packed as usual, but she was able to find an open space and place her order for two more beers and two shots of Absolut. While she was waiting for the bartender to fill her order, she heard her name called out.

"Annie Walker, as I live and breathe, is that you?"

Turning, she saw a tall, blonde-haired, blue-eyed man shouldering his way past a

couple of fawning coeds. "Oh, my God. Conrad?"

"You remembered my name, I'm flattered," Conrad said, walking up to her. "How have you been?"

Annie blinked at him, caught off guard by his presence. "Fine, actually. I haven't seen you in months. Where have you been?"

"Duty calls. Been away on official business, just got back this past week. You, on the other hand, have been very busy, I've heard," he said, smiling.

"Conrad, have you been checking up on me?" Annie asked, patting his upper arm.

"News travels fast around the department. Plus, I felt it my duty to read up on your reports, being the one to greet you on your first day," he said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Tell me, are you here alone? Can I buy you a drink?"

Annie smiled up at him, "Oh, Conrad, I'm sorry, but I'm here with Auggie."

"Anderson's here? Old times, once again. Next round's on me," he said, squeezing her shoulder.

"No, Conrad, we're - we're here on a date," Annie said. "You see, after what happened with Ben, Auggie's really been there for me the whole time, and -"

"Shh, say no more," Conrad said, smiling broadly at her and releasing her arm. "I had a feeling you two would hook up eventually. Where is he?"

"Over there," Annie said, turning and pointing at their table in the corner. "I was just getting us -" Annie's voice trailed off.

Following where she pointed, Conrad saw Auggie sitting at the table, both hands wrapped around a beer bottle and - Oh my, Conrad thought. A so-young-she-was-probably-carded brunette was standing next to him, her fingers running down his arm. She was talking - he couldn't hear the conversation in the din of the bar crowd - but Auggie had a wide grin on his face, and as they watched, his hand covered hers.

Looking back down at Annie, he saw she looked stricken, as if someone had punched her in the gut. Her mouth hung open, and her eyes were wide and beginning to glisten. Oh, shit, Auggie, what have you done? he asked silently before turning back to Annie.

Thinking fast, he said, "Annie, let me handle this."

"But he -" Annie choked out.

"Wait here, get your drinks. Let me talk to him," he said, meeting her eyes. "Trust me."

Seeing her nod, Conrad strode through the crowd to Auggie's table. The brunette was gone, and Auggie was draining the last of his beer.

"Auggie, how have you been?" he asked, standing from him, his hands on the back of a chair.

"Conrad?" Auggie asked, "Is that you?"

"Good, you remember me. That'll save about five minutes of conversation. Mind if I sit down?" Without waiting for an answer, he pulled the chair out and lowered himself into it.

"Conrad, it's good to run into you again, but I'm here with -"

"Annie, I know. She's at the bar, waiting for your drinks. I just came from her. Now, before she returns, I have one question for you. What in the hell do you think you're doing?"

"What are you talking about?" Auggie asked, surprised at the man's angry tone.

"Annie saw you with that girl. We both did. What are you doing flirting with another woman when you're out with someone like her? She's not some bar bimbo, Anderson. You can't treat her like one," Conrad said, lowering his voice again.

Auggie's mouth dropped open at his words. "No, you don't understand. I wasn't flirting with her. The only thing I did was smile politely while turning her down. I'm here with Annie, Conrad."

Conrad eased back in his chair a little. "Then why did she look like she was about to start crying when she saw you smiling at that brunette? Not to be crass, Anderson, but you didn't see her face. She looked like she'd been punched in the gut."

Auggie closed his eyes and lowered his head, taking in Conrad's words. He'd suspected that Annie felt as he did, but if she did care for him, why did she keep pulling away?

"Auggie, I may not be as close to Annie as you are, but I have followed her career. She's done some impressive work, and I see her as a friend. If you want her, you'd better do some fast footwork. Now. If not, then cut her loose before she has her heart broken. Again."

"Conrad, I -" But Auggie was talking to empty air as he heard the chair scrape. He felt his heart pounding in his chest and knew he only had a minute or two before Annie returned to the table. He had to think and think fast. His mind swirled with Conrad's words. He could almost picture in his mind how he said she looked when that girl had walked up to him. It was completely innocent, and Annie should know that, right?

How would she, a voice in his head echoed, you've never told her that you care for her.

Blinking at the sudden realization, Auggie smiled. He knew what he had to do. And not a minute too late, he thought as the sound of her shuffle adn step and familiar scent approached him.

"Hey, sorry it took so long," he heard her say, accompanied by the sound of glass hitting the table. Her voice was overly bright and casual.

"Annie, I've gotta tell you something," Auggie said, reaching across the table for her hand. A shot glass was pushed into his fingers. He brought it to his mouth, downing the liquid encouragement before putting it aside and reaching across the table again.

His fingers remained empty as he heard her shot glass hit the table. "Annie, please."

The pleading tone in his voice must have worked as he felt her fingers touch his. He curled his fingertips up, pulling her hand closer into his until their palms were together. Taking a deep breath, he said, "First of all, what you saw - yes, Conrad told me - was me letting that girl down easy."

Sliding his other hand over, he held hers in both of his, cradling it. "I'm here with you, Annie, and if you wouldn't mind too much, I'd like to be with you for a long, long time."

The tears that had threatened behind Annie's eyes while she stood at the bar pricked there again at his words and the soothing caress of his hands on hers. She blinked them back and swallowed before allowing herself to speak. "If I wouldn't mind, huh?" she asked, smiling. "No, I wouldn't mind that. But under one condition."

"What is it?" Auggie asked.

"You tell me what you were saying into my hand earlier."

A brilliant smile lit his face as he turned her hand over, cradling it in his as he pressed his fingertip into her palm. "Whatever you say. This is a K. This is an I. This is an S. This is an M. And this," he said, "is an E."

As he finished the last letter, he felt her hand her fingers clench onto his and heard a chair scrape. He felt her breath on his face before hearing her say, "May I?"

Letting go of her hands, Auggie reached up and placed his on either side of her face. "You never have to ask," he said.

THE END


	20. Truth in Cliches

Title: The Truth in Cliches

Category: TV Shows » Covert Affairs

Author: Beth - Geek Chick

Language: English, Rating: Rated: K+

Genre: Friendship/Romance

Published: 06-09-11, Updated: 06-09-11

Chapters: 1, Words: 1,367

Chapter 1

He could tell she was nervous and something was on her mind. End of missions usually bring out the best in Annie, successful or not. She'd hold her head a bit higher, appear more confident, more at ease with her choice of careers.

He knew when she left work, and even more, he knew she'd be here, at Allen's Tavern. What he didn't know is whether or not she'd want him to join her. So he came alone, hanging back, wondering what her next move would be. There's a thin line between protective friend and stalker, and Auggie was trying his best not to cross it.

So when his cell rang, and she was on the other end of it, he knew she'd made her choice. It may have been a bit cliché to walk over to her as they talked on the phone, but he didn't care. Every time Annie turned back to him when she needed a friend put another nail in the coffin that represented his infatuation with Annie Walker.

He was nothing but patient, though. He knew enough, both from personal knowledge and Army and CIA training, that slow and steady won the race. Another cliché, but all cliches contain a kernel of truth. Burning bridges by rushing too fast only works when you don't plan on crossing that bridge again for the rest of your life. A quick tumble in the hay with Annie Walker was out of the question. Sure, it might have been his first thought when he met her. Hell, he'd made a bet with himself that he'd have her naked by the end of the week. But something about Annie Walker surprised him, and 48 hours later, he couldn't believe a life without her in it.

So he sat back and rethought his initial assessment. Every nugget of information she gave him was cataloged and memorized. He used them to reshape how he could stay in her life. Even when he thought he'd lost her trust in him, lost her friendship, she always came back. He nearly threw away his life to follow an old lover, and she came back. He slept with Liza whose sole mission it seeemed was to rip apart the very thing he vowed to protect, and Annie still trusted him.

He always thought he was the one running the show here in his own personal mission to make Annie Walker his, but sometimes he wondered if the roles were reversed, and she was leading him by the nose.

"I'm buying."

"That's the best news I've heard all day," Auggie said, folding up his cane with practiced moves.

He heard the sound of pouring liquid and reached his hand across the table. A glass mug was soon pressed against his palm, and he nodded his thanks, taking a healthy swig.

Anniee drained the rest of her mug, wishing at that precise moment she'd ordered a round of shots to go with them. But no, getting drunk right now would only exacerbate her troubles. She'd worked so hard on this case, this mission, defying Joan and ignoring advice, to give it up. But her intuition told her not to. She should listen to it more often.

Like, right now, it was telling her to start talking, lay everything out to the man sitting across from her drinking his beer with that easy smile on his face. He'd never let her down before, though sometimes he frustrated her. Just when she thought she had him figured out, something – or someone – would pop up to completely color her perception of him.

They'd become easy friends over the months when she'd first met him, her first day at the CIA. She hoped they'd become something more, but, as Joan once told her, the men of the CIA were hired to be duplicitous. She'd seen it in nearly all of them, and tried to tell herself Auggie was different, that he wouldn't keep secrets from her or lie to her. And then – well, then she'd heard about Natasha, and not long after, Liza. Details would emerge here and there, which he would laugh off or have an easy explanation for.

She wanted so hard to trust him. Of everyone she knew, he was the only one she could talk to, who would listen and offer advice, whether she wanted to hear it or not. Though Joan had warned her away from involving herself emotionally with her co-workers, she took that to mean look before you leap. Joan was one to talk, Annie thought, given her own spouse's career.

She didn't realize her nervousness and racing thoughts were giving her away until she heard Auggie chuckle.

"You know, I do understand Morse Code, and a handful of other nonverbal coded languages, but if you're trying to tell me something without talking, I'm not sure I follow."

"Huh?" Annie said, perplexed.

"Your stilettos are tapping out a staccato that would make a reggae musician envious, and your fingers are drumming against your glass."

Annie stilled the involuntary jumping of her leg and busied her hands pouring herself another mug of beer while she sighed, "Maybe I should have got shots."

"Alcohol isn't going to solve your problems," Auggie said. "Talk to me."

"About what?" Annie hedged, leaning across the table to refill his own mug.

Auggie tilted his head at his words. He already knew the majority of what had been going on in her life. His job, after all, was the extraction and filtration of information. He knew Ben was alive. He also knew that, after she and Jai had visited with him at Walter Reed, he disappeared. She didn't say a word to him, but he knew she was upset. Thankfully, Joan was inundating her with enough work to keep her mind off of him.

But he also knew Annie wouldn't have taken that subtle hint. Ben had left her high and dry years ago, and she'd eagerly jumped back into his arms when he strolled back into the CIA. Jai had told him Annie never left Ben's side after he got shot. He just wondered when she would get it, when she would accept the fact that a relationship with Ben would not equal happily ever after.

If only he could tell her that himself without enduring her wrath. So, with the silent seconds ticking between them, he decided quickly to let it go.

She was here, with him, and that's all that mattered right now. Possession, as they say, is nine-tenths of the law. As long as she always turned back to him, came to him for advice, or maybe, just maybe, decided to take his flirtation seriously for once, he'd come out the winner.

"Whatever you want to talk about, Annie," he said. "I'm listening."


	21. Unrequited Love

Title: Unrequited Love

Category: TV Shows » Covert Affairs

Author: Beth - Geek Chick

Language: English, Rating: Rated: T

Genre: Romance/General

Published: 12-11-10, Updated: 12-15-10

Chapters: 6, Words: 10,994

Chapter 1

_Ring...Annie Walker...Ring...Annie Walker...Ring...Annie Walker...Ri -_

Auggie groaned against the harsh ringing of his phone, as it clashed harshly with the remnants of the migraine he'd gone to sleep with. Throwing the covers off, he banged his hand off the side of his nightstand grabbing for the phone. Cursing at the stab of pain, he took the phone off its cradle, "Hello?" he grunted into the receiver.

"Auggie?" came a distinctly feminine voice. He already knew it was Annie, but why she was calling him in the middle of the night?

"Yeah, Annie, it's me," Auggie said, sitting up on the side of his bed. "Who'd you think it was?"

"Are you okay?" he heard her ask softly, and immediately felt remorse for his hard tone. "Yes, I'm fine, Annie. Just tired. What are you calling so early for?" he asked, running a hand over his stubble-ridden jaw.

"I'm not early, I'm sitting in my freezing car outside your apartment wondering where you are," Annie said.

"What? Wait a minute," Auggie reached for his watch on the table, pressing the "talk" button. "8:30 a.m."

"Damn," he groaned into the phone. "I overslept. Could - could you give me about 15 minutes?"

"It's cold out here, Auggie," she said, and he swore he could hear her teeth chattering in the early spring chill.

"Then wait up here," he said. "I'll unlock the door."

Hanging up, he silently cursed his alarm clock and walked quickly to his door, unlocking it before heading to the bathroom. A quick shower and shave would be about all he could manage this morning. There was no time for coffee or even a breakfast.

Taking the stairs to Auggie's apartment quickly, Annie knocked once on his door, then opened it, walking in and relishing the warm air. Auggie was nowhere in sight, but she heard the shower running. He must be in the bathroom, she thought. She walked toward his kitchen area and leaned on the counter to wait for him. She smiled as she looked around the stylish, yet sparse apartment. It was all Auggie: handsome, but cheeky and with a sense of humor.

Seeing the empty coffee pot, she shouted out, "Hey, Auggie, want me to make you some coffee?"

There was no answer, and Annie figured he couldn't hear her over the running water. She was walking over to the bathroom door to ask again when the water shut off, and after a few seconds, the door suddenly opened.

Annie went to move out of the way, but Auggie, his hair damp, his body naked save the towel hastily wrapped around his hips, walked directly into her path. Her arms went up involuntarily to shield herself from the impact, but all they did was collide with his chest.

"Whoa!" Auggie shouted, skidding to a stop and grasping her arm with his free hand. "Annie, are you okay?"

"Yeah," she said, "sorry, I just wanted to know if you wanted me to make you coffee." She tried to avert her eyes from her best friend's lean, muscular torso, but unless she shut them, all she could see was him. His freshly shaved jaw was inches from her face, and the aftershave he must have applied enveloped her with a woodsy, spicy mix.

Auggie shook his head no, and her fingers were within inches of seeing if his skin felt as smooth as it looked when he let go of her arm and, sliding past her, walked through the kitchen to his bedroom. Her eyes followed him all the way, and as soon as he was gone from her sight, an involuntarily moan coupled with her exhale as she let the breath out she didn't even realize she'd been holding.

Oh, wow, she thought, still frozen to the spot. A slight flush of embarrassment came over her, and she attritubed her increased heart rate to the fact that she'd seen her buddy, her confidante, her best friend over the past year, nearly naked and within kissing distance.

Huh? Her mind echoed back at her, kissing distance? Since when did the feel of Auggie's mouth against hers come into play? Annie wasn't sure of the answer to that question, but she wasn't naive, either. When she first met Auggie, a sexual attraction had flared up in her, but the terrifying prospect of her first day on the job at the CIA quickly dimmed it. Then he'd come to be such a great friend, which she needed more than anything. But now - now what?

She was pulled out of her thoughts by a sudden clunk of something falling. "Auggie?" she asked, making her way into his bedroom. His walk-in closet door was open, and a shoe lay on the floor outside.

"Auggie, what fell?" Annie asked, peering around the corner into the small room. Auggie stood there, his slacks on and zipped, but the top button open. His torso was bare, and his back was to her, the overhead light illumating the Special Forces tattoo between his shoulders. His hands were frantically going through the line of shirts, sweaters and jackets hung on the rack, his fingers reading the tags attached.

"Auggie, didn't you hear me?" Annie said, reaching out a hand to his bare shoulder. "I said -"

Startled by her touch and presence, Auggie went to turn to her, but his other shoe which lay on the ground at his feet tripped him. Grabbing at the shirt whose tag he was reading, he tried to regain his balance, but couldn't and fell to his knees on the ground. Several shirts toppled down to the floor with him, as he'd tried to stop his fall by grabbing onto them.

Annie had tried to catch him before he fell, but his flailing arm nearly caught her on her shoulder, and she'd instinctively ducked. She watched as he turned and sat on the floor, crumpling the shirts still in his grasp and throwing them across the small room. "Hey," she said, kneeling on the floor beside him. "What's going on?"

He still didn't answer, and seeing the frustration in his eyes, Annie reached out and placed her hand on his shoulder. He nearly flinched from her touch, but she didn't pull away. Instead, she scooted nearer and wrapped her arm around his shoulder. His head dropped down to hers, and slowly, she saw the anger and frustration leave his face.

She'd only seen him lose his composure a few times in the past, and every time, she'd fought the urge to go to him and place her arms around him in a hug of compassion and empathy. He was always her rock, and in moments like these, she saw how vulnerable that granite foundation really was.

His hand came up to her shoulder, and in that moment, as their foreheads touched, Annie was hit by the fact that she loved him. The thought was both terrifying and joyous, and she nearly cried with the forcefulness of the emotion.

There, sitting on the floor of his closet, she still in her coat and he half-dressed with crumpled shirts on the floor around them, Annie Walker suddenly fell in love with her best friend.

Blinking against the sting of tears threatening, Annie's hand came up to his cheek, and she slowly lifted his head. "Auggie?" she whispered.

Smiling at the soft tone of her voice, Auggie sighed. Removing the hand on her shoulder, he grasped the hand on his cheek. "Sorry, Annie. Just having a bad morning. Went to sleep with a migraine and must've not set the alarm right."

Patting her hand, he pulled it off his cheek. Her arm still lay on his shoulder, though, and he said, "I'm okay, seriously." Her arm slid off his shoulder, and he stood, pulling her up with him. Taking a deep breath, he went back to his task of getting dressed for work. He bent over, feeling for the shirts that had fallen to the floor with him.

He heard her step away out of the closet. The two shirts he had in his hands were similar, and since the tags that named their color were attached to the hangers they'd fallen off of, he called out, "Annie? Could you tell me which of these shirts is white? The tag -"

Suddenly, he heard his front door close, and he shouted "Annie!" No answer came, and giving up on the shirts in his hand, Auggie went back to the still hanging clothes and chose a white dress shirt with a dark grey blazer. He quickly finished getting dressed, sliding his feet into the shoes that had fallen off the shelf in his haste to get ready.

As he stepped out of the building into the cool March air, Auggie stood still, wondering where Annie had gone to. Surely she hadn't left without him? Did he say or do something wrong? Was she really that upset at him for being late? A sudden honk of a horn directly in front of him alerted him to her presence. He walked toward the sound and heard a car door open. Tapping his white cane out in front of him until it made contact, he grabbed the car door and slid inside, shutting it behind him.

Annie felt like a coward for leaving him standing there in the closet, but she knew if she hadn't gotten away from him at that moment, her churning emotions would have gotten the better of her, leading her to say something to him. Or, as her heart urged her to do at that moment, to lean in and kiss him.

Even now, as she risked a sidelong glance at him, her fingers itched to run themselves through his hair. Jesus, Annie, her mind chastised at her. Are you willing to risk the most important friendship of your life? But that's just it, she thought as she pulled out into traffic. Friendship was no longer enough.

Chapter 2

As she drove, Annie's fingers gripped the steering wheel tightly, her knuckles turning white. She knew she had to calm down, release her grip and take a deep breath before she caused a stress-related headache to start pounding, but she couldn't. Her heart still pounded erratically, and her mind was racing.

She'd been in love before, she thought, but it was a puppy love junior high crush compared to what she felt now. Unheedingly, her mind flashed back to his closet. At how, when she'd placed her hand on his face and whispered his name, he had patted it and pulled it away. That small motion of rejection, inadvertent and unintentional as it was, made her realize that Auggie didn't return her feelings.

In fact, he'd never shown anything but friendship towards her in the nine months since they'd met, and a sudden declaration of undying passion, she figured, would not be welcome.

And so, with a few deep breaths to forcefully slow her heart rate and an unclenching of her fingers on the steerling wheel, Annie pushed all thoughts of running off into the sunset with Auggie to the back of her mind. Until -

"Hey, sorry for oversleeping this morning," Auggie said, reaching over and placing an apologetic hand on her shoulder. He felt her muscle twitch slightly at his touch. Placing his hand back in his lap, he sighed inaudibly. "I had a migraine last night and apparently didn't set the alarm clock."

"It's okay," Annie answered softly, willing her voice to sound as clear as possible. "Do - do you get them often?"

"No, thankfully," Auggie said, settling back in his seat, glad that she, at least, wasn't too overly angry with him. One reason for the migraine, he knew, was the fact that a month ago, he had formally requested field status from Joan, and she'd yet to get back to him.

He'd laid out all his qualifications, including his "unofficial" forays the last summer, and again this winter, when Annie had run into trouble on a couple of occasions. He knew if he'd asked for permission first before running out of the building to help his best friend, the answer would be a resounding no, but he'd always believed that it was better to ask for forgiveness than to seek permission, and to hell if he was going to let someone else run to her aid. He also knew that bottom line results counted more than protocol at times, and he was determined to get out from behind his desk.

He yearned to tell all this to Annie, but as afraid as he was that he'd be rejected, he didn't want her to feel sorry for him. Not that she ever did. Annie accepted him, from day one, just as he was, and he counted her friendship amongst the most important of his life.

And so he kept all this to himself, as difficult as it was at times, but also knowing that if Joan's answer was in the affirmative, the news that he'd gotten approved for field duty would make her very happy.

They'd arrived at the office, and as Annie shut her car door, she saw Auggie already on the other side, smile on his face, elbow cocked at an angle, ready to receive her guiding hand. The thought of touching him again, so soon after this morning, though, was too much to bear.

"Auggie, do you mind going in yourself?" she asked. "I - umm, I really need to visit the ladies room."

Auggie opened his mouth to reply, but her heels were already clicking across the pavement. Reaching into his bag for his folded cane, he wondered at the obvious lie she'd just uttered to him. Something's got to be wrong, he thought, as he walked across the pavement. But considering she could barely stand to be within five feet of him at the moment, he'd have to wait to figure it out.

Switching to his laser cane as he hit the hallways, Auggie noticed the louder than normal buzz of activity around him. Normally Annie by his side would be able to relay to him what was going on, but for now, he settled for just going straight to tech ops. If it had anything to do with him, he'd soon be alerted.

He'd no sooner than sat down when his phone rang. "Anderson."

"Auggie, please report to my office," Joan said.

"Of course, be right there," Auggie replied, standing up again and walking out.

When he'd settled down in the chair across from Joan, Auggie felt a mix of apprehension and relief. She hadn't said so over the phone, but he had a strong feeling this was in regards to his field request a month ago.

"Auggie, you've been a great asset to us over the past few years," Joan stated, and inwardly, Auggie groaned at the tone of her voice. He steeled himself for the letdown.

"Approximately a month ago, you put in for field work," she said. "Considering that I've told you time and again you weren't qualified for such work anymore, I'd like to know why you think I should grant this request now."

Auggie blinked at her question. She was asking him why? He'd laid it all out in print. Shouldn't that be good enough, he thought. Taking a deep breath, he started talking, detailing everything he'd put in the report, including the unofficial forays into the world outside the concrete walls of the DPD.

When he finished, he leaned his elbows on his knees and said with all honesty, "I love my current job, Joan, but you know me. I need to get out from behind that desk."

Smiling at the young man's impassioned speech, Joan nodded her head. "That's all I needed to hear. Actually, you were approved before you stepped into the room."

"Then why -" Auggie asked.

"Because I still wasn't entirely sure about it. I'm still not, but I do know that if you sneaked out of here again, I'd have to reprimand you, or even fire you. This way, I get to keep you, and you play by the rules," Joan said simply.

Auggie's smile threatened to split the sides of his jaw. "Thanks, Joan."

"Don't let me down," his boss replied.

"Never. So, when do I get to go? I heard a lot of activity out there -"

"Slow down, Auggie. You may be approved for field work, but that doesn't mean I'm throwing you to the wolves just yet." Seeing the disappointed look on his face, Joan continued, "But I will have something for you, as a test run, coming up soon. I'll let you know. But you will continue your current duties in the meantime."

"Understood," Auggie said, standing. He had turned to leave, but stopped. Walking back to her desk, Auggie held out his hand, which Joan accepted. "Thanks, Joan."

Auggie nearly bounded out of her office, his laser cane bouncing off the walls and floor as he made his way down to the bullpen. Finally! he thought. Finally, he was heading out. And, he realized, he owed it all to one best friend who'd given him the courage to, first of all, leave his place behind the desk - within 48 hours of meeting her, mind you.

He heard her typing at his desk, and he couldn't keep the smile off his face as he walked up to her. "You'll never guess what just happened," he said.

Looking up from the e-mail she was thankfully getting immersed in, Annie's heart leapt at the sight of him. Joy radiated from his face, and his smile melted her insides even more. As much as she tried to get her mind off him, off what had happened that morning, she found she still couldn't bear to see him. The coward in her reared its ugly head again, and she stood up.

"Can it wait, Auggie? I've got to go file something," she said, walking past him.

His hand caught her shoulder, though, and he said, "Hey, if this is about this morning, I'm sorry. Why don't I make it up to you with lunch today? We can celebrate -"

Pulling her arm out of his light grasp, Annie said, "No, it's fine, really. You had a migraine, happens to the best of us. I've just really got to go."

Her heels clicked away again, and Auggie felt his former euphoria diminish. He could tell something was bothering her, and he slowly made his way back to his office. He dropped down in his chair, simultaneously happy over his promotion, but upset that the one person he wanted to tell apparently never wanted to speak to him again.

Chapter 3

So, Annie thought, poking at her Caesar salad in the CIA food court, let's think of this logically. I'm good at logic, she told herself. I can figure things out fairly well.

Fact number one. You're in love with Auggie, but he's shown nothing but friendship. Fact number two. You're running like a coward anytime he gets near you. Fact number three. You work together and provide him with a ride to and from work, so running will not get you far.

Well, so much for logic, Annie thought, stuffing a bite of lettuce into her mouth. Misery settled heavily on her, as a bleak and lonely future stretched out ahead. Maybe, she thought, maybe she could fake it. Living without Auggie's positive and happy influence in her life was impossible. Whatever she was today was due partly to him being in her life. He'd given her courage, made her laugh, and just been there for her.

And given the confused look on his face as she'd left him this morning - three times, in fact - broke her heart even more. He shouldn't have to suffer, as well. As she ran over scenarios in her head of how she'd act when she'd see him next - didn't want to leave anything up to chance - the chair on the other side of the table she sat at scraped, and she looked up, startled.

"Hey, Annie, mind if I join you?" Stu asked, still holding onto the back of the chair with one hand, the other gripping a bottled water and paper bag.

Confused as to his sudden appearance, Annie could only nod. She watched as the dark-haired handsome tech analyst sat down in front of her and opened his bag, withdrawing a hoagie. Well, she thought, this is one way to get her mind off of Auggie.

"Hey, did you hear the good news?" Stu asked before taking a bite.

"No, haven't heard much of anything in the way of gossip this morning," Annie said, smiling. "What's the latest?"

"I'm moving up to handler duty," he said with a wide grin.

Annie blinked with surprise. "Wow, that's great. I didn't even know you were going for that, or qualified, for that matter."

"Well," Stu said, cocking his head to the side, "I wasn't really, but since Auggie's going out in the field, they needed someone to take over for him when he's out there."

Annie choked at this, and it took several gulps of her juice to force the piece of lettuce back down her throat. When she was finally able to speak again, she asked, "Auggie's been approved for field duty? When - how -"

Stu stared at her, his hand holding out a napkin, which she accepted gratefully. "I take it he didn't tell you?" he said slowly.

Annie shook her head, "No, but I think he tried to -" Thinking back to that morning when he'd bounded up to her desk all smiles and joy, Annie realized he must've just come from Joan's office. Obviously, the first person he wanted to tell was her, and all she did was push him away.

"Yeah, he put in for it about a month ago," Stu explained. "Joan only approved it this morning."

Stu watched as a litany of emotions ran over Annie's face. Auggie had asked him that morning to check up on her, and he'd tried to beg out of it, telling the man that he wasn't all that great at that sort of thing. But Auggie pleaded, saying she obviously didn't want to talk to him, and he was worried about her.

Now, though, watching her, he was nowhere close to knowing what was wrong. She looked like a deer caught in headlights, eyes wide, mouth drawn, and looking simultaneously like she'd wanted to chain herself to the table and run away.

"Hey, are you okay?" he asked, leaning over the table.

Annie looked up at him and saw him watching her intently. She shook herself mentally and conjured up a smile, "Yeah, yeah, I'm okay. It's just a shock, you know. So, when is all this happening?"

"Don't know yet, nothing's been scheduled," Stu said, settling back down to his lunch. Their conversation drifted to safer topics, and as she talked, he tried to do what Auggie had asked. She did seem down, something on her mind, but as much as he tried, he couldn't get her to talk about it.

After 20 minutes, Annie stood and smiled at him, "Thanks for keeping me company, Stu. We should do this more often. And again, congratulations."

"Anytime," Stu said, as he watched her walk away.

Nearly time to go home, Annie thought, sitting at her desk. She hadn't left it all day, busying herself with as much work as she could possibly get her hands on. She'd also spent the time steadying her nerves and calming her mind. Avoiding Auggie wasn't an option, and being a coward never suited her demeanor. She'd plaster a smile on her face and approach it as she would an op, if at all possible.

As the bullpen emptied and darkness fell outside, she took a deep breath, gathered her things and approached tech ops. She slid the door open quietly and stepped inside.

The rush of air, accompanied by Annie's scent, greeted Auggie unexpectedly. He almost thought that perhaps he'd need to call the car service, but perhaps what Stu had told him this afternoon was true. Maybe Annie was just having a bad day.

"Hey, Auggie," Annie said, her voice as calm as she could muster. "Ready to head home?"

"Yeah, sure," he replied, stashing away his own work and grabbing his jacket. He was pulling it over his shoulders when he felt her hand on his collar, and he started. "Thanks," he murmured as she straightened the material and smoothed it across his back.

"You're welcome," Annie answered, grasping his proffered elbow. As they walked out of the office and down the hallway, she congratulated herself. This might work, she thought, as long as she kept her actions and words the same as they were prior to this morning, Auggie'd never guess how her feelings had changed.

They'd reached her car, and he was buckling his seatbelt when Auggie spoke again. "Stu mentioned he had lunch with you today."

"Umm, yeah. I was just having a quick salad, is all," Annie replied. "He's a nice guy."

The silence strained between them once again, and Auggie felt a slight tension emanating from her. He couldn't fathom what she was thinking. Before he could think of a way to draw her out, she spoke again.

"Why didn't you tell me you'd put in for field work?"

"I tried to this morning, but -" Auggie started to say.

"No, not then," Annie interrupted quickly, not wanting to think about anything that had happened that morning. "Before. Apparently, you'd applied a month ago?"

"Oh, that," Auggie sighed. "Because I wasn't entirely sure it'd be accepted, and if I was rejected - again - I couldn't bear to hear your pity."

Annie gasped and dared a look at him. "I would never pity you, Auggie. You know that."

Auggie smiled at the soft tone of her voice. "I do know that, but you'd be disappointed and sad, all the same, and I couldn't have that, could I?" Reaching his hand over, he laid it on her shoulder, squeezing lightly. She didn't tense this time, and his smile widened. Perhaps they were all right, he thought, squeezing her shoulder before releasing her once again.

And for the first time in nine months, Annie felt relief that her best friend couldn't see. That effervescent smile and that light touch, almost a caress, sent her heart racing, and her mouth fell open. Had she a mirror to check, she was sure her pupils were the size of pennies, and her skin was flushed. Taking a deep breath, she steadied herself as much as she could before talking again. "So, did Joan say what you'd be doing?"

"No, unfortunately," Auggie said, chuckling. "And it probably won't be much. Think she just wanted to keep me from sneaking out. And it won't be full field access. Still have to stay behind the desk for the time being."

Annie smiled, grateful for the change of topic. "Aww, so no more sneaking out? Too bad. Think I could talk Stu into coming to rescue me once in a while now?"

"Perhaps," Auggie said, smiling at her teasing tone. "He really couldn't stop talking about his lunch date with you. I think we've got an office romance brewing here."

Yep, Annie thought, her smile slipping a bit, just not the one I'd imagined.

Chapter 4

Annie sat in her car in the parking lot, willing herself to enter her place of work, but after the latest two-day mission, complete with a flight from hell, she was nowhere near sorting out her predicament. Auggie had been in her ear the entire time, and for a while, she let herself believe that she could do this. She could push aside her feelings and resume being friends.

But once she saw him, all pretense would crumble, and she'd wind up fighting the urge to take his face in her hands and - Shaking herself mentally, Annie reached into her glove compartment for her personal cell. She pressed Danielle's speed dial number and sat back in her seat. Danielle answered on the second ring.

"Hey, Sis, back so soon?"

"Yeah, back in the office, at least. Listen, can I ask you a personal question?"

"Of course," Danielle laughed. "You can ask me anything. What's on your mind?"

"When did you know you fell in love with Michael?"

"Okay," Danielle replied slowly. "Where is this coming from?"

"Just answer the question, Dani," Annie sighed tiredly.

"Not until you tell me what's going on."

Annie closed her eyes in frustration. She knew better than to expect a straightforward answer from her sister. "I just need to know is all. I mean, what did it feel like?"

Annie heard her sister gasp over the phone. "Oh, my God. Tell me everything. First off, what's his name? Have I met him?"

"Danielle, please."

"Okay, just tell me, have I at least met him?"

"Yes," Annie said softly. "It's - oh, geez. It's Auggie."

"The cute blind guy who gave the girls the tour at the Smithsonian?" Danielle asked skeptically.

"How many Auggies do you think I know?" Annie retorted harsher than she meant.

"Okay, okay, man, you've obviously got it bad," Danielle said softly. "I thought he was a great guy. So what's the problem?"

"I love him, Dani. Pure and simple. Well, not so simple, but I do. It hit me a few days ago, and I don't know what to do about it."

"What's to do? Enjoy it. Enjoy each other. Have fun."

Anni could have cried at her words. "It's not that easy, sis. He doesn't know."

"He doesn't know you love him?" Danielle asked incredulously.

"No, he still thinks we're best friends, but anytime I get near him anymore, or even think about it -" Annie sighed again, heavily this time.

"Oh, boy," Danielle said. "I'm sorry, honey. Do - do you think there's even a chance that he might feel the same way?"

"No, I don't think so. What am I going to do?" Annie groaned.

"Listen to me, sis," Danielle said emphatically. "If you value this friendship, you do whatever you can to keep it. Bury those feelings. Tie them up in a box with a little bow and put them aside."

"I can't just not stop loving him, Danielle," Annie replied. "He's - he's everything to me."

"I know, sweetheart. I can hear it in your voice. And I'm not saying stop. I'm saying wait. If he's half the man you say he is, one day he'll realize what's right in front of him, and he'll come to you."

Annie took a deep breath, letting Danielle's words sink in.

"You think you can do that, honey?"

"Yeah," Annie said with a small smile. "Thanks, Danielle."

"Anytime."

When she'd reached her desk, Annie was only able to sit and rest for about five minutes before her phone rang. "Walker."

"Annie, welcome back. Could you come to my office, please?" Joan's voice came over the line.

"Of course," Annie replied, before hanging up. So much for having a break between missions, Annie chuckled to herself as she made her way up the stairs to Joan's office. When she opened the door, though, her smile slipped as she saw Auggie sitting in one of the two chairs in front of her desk.

"Annie, please have a seat," Joan said, motioning toward the empty one beside Auggie. When her junior officer was seated, Joan continued, "I assume you've heard that Auggie here will, on a limited basis, be allowed into the field."

"Yes, I did," Annie nodded, glancing over at Auggie, who sat beside her with a self-satisfied grin on his face. "Congratulations."

"Thanks, Annie," Auggie said, his gaze turning toward her, his eyes unknowingly locking with hers.

It took Joan's clearing of her throat to pull Annie back out of those deep brown depths. "I've already explained to Auggie what his duties will be, both in his current position, and the additional tasks he'll be assigned. And that's where you come in."

Annie's eyebrows shot up at this. "What do you need me to do?" she asked.

"Nothing you won't be prepared for," Joan said, smiling. "We've got a mission pending that, I believe, will be a bit unconventional, but should work very well. Auggie's technical computer skills will be used on what I've termed a mobile surveillance mission. A specially equipped van will be placed near the site, and he will work from there. Being nearer the action, Auggie will be able to respond quicker and more effectively than he will here. Being mobile, the surveillance van will also be able to move closer to or further away from the action should the need arise."

Annie nodded at this. It seemed a sound idea, as sometimes communications were lost or delayed having only audio from a satellite from an in-house handler.

"So where do I come in?" Annie asked.

"You'll accompany Auggie in the van, as both the driver and, for lack of a better term, his eyes. As much as he can protest, Auggie knows that sending him out by himself is not a part of this deal. He will always be with someone else," Joan stated, noting the half-frown on his face.

Joan's eyes were on Auggie, or else she would have noticed a somewhat similar frown on Annie's face.

"Everything's been put in place over the past couple of days, and though I know you've only just gotten back, Annie, I'm afraid you'll be needed again tonight," Joan said. "Here are your profiles. Read over them carefully. Auggie, you're dismissed. Annie, if you could stay for a moment?"

As the door shut behind him, Annie turned her gaze back onto her boss, who was studying her face intently.

"You don't seem too pleased with this assignment, Annie, and I think I know why."

Annie's eyes widened. Had she really been that obvious?

"I know this sounds more like a babysitting job than a mission detail, but I need someone with Auggie that I trust and can report back to me as to his capabilities. For all of Auggie's bravado, he will be out, officially, for the first time, and all of his actions scrutinized. Not just by me, mind you. Arthur has an interest in using Auggie's talents in the future should he prove worthy."

Annie nodded, slightly relieved.

"Now," Joan continued, "Auggie also needs someone to work with that he can trust and relax with. That's you. You've worked well together over the past several months, and should this go well, I may have you two team up permanently when his services are needed out in the field. Is that agreeable to you?"

Taking all this information in rather numbly, Annie nodded. The prospect of forming a team with Auggie, spending more and more time together with him out in the field both thrilled and terrified her.

"Very well. Good luck tonight," Joan said, dismissing her.

Sitting on the small seat beside Auggie in the darkened back of the tricked-out van, Annie watched and listened as he spoke to the other officers on site, his fingers flying over his Braille monitor. Her heart swelled with happiness for him as he immersed himself in the mission.

She thought back on her conversation with Danielle earlier and sighed. What her sister so eloquently tried to point out was the age-old saying that if you loved something, set it free. And should it come back? Well, she'd deal with that at the time, she thought. And if it shouldn't? She just hoped she was strong enough to endure that pain when it came.

"Dolphin, you are in position. Proceed when clear," Auggie said into his mic, leaning back in his chair. He reached out and snagged his power drink, taking a long swig. It'd been a long day and promise to be an even longer night. The energy drink would keep his body awake, but adrenaline and excitement kept his brain buzzing.

And then there was Annie. She'd been relatively quiet for the couple of hours they'd been in the van, and his worry for her threatened to detract him. Reminding himself that now was not the time for a long overdue talk with her, he still couldn't keep stop the niggle at the back of his neck that told him her eyes were on him, and had been the entire time.

"So, what do you think so far?" he asked, turning to her.

"Huh?" Annie asked, distractedly.

"I take it you've been told by Joan to report back on my progress," Auggie said, smiling. "How am I doing?"

Annie laughed, "You're doing fine, and you know it. How did you know Joan asked me to keep an eye on you?"

"Partly because I know Joan, and partly because you haven't taken your eyes off of me since we parked," Auggie teased.

Annie gulped. She'd forgotten his innate ability to know when someone was watching him, and she felt acutely embarrassed by her unhindered emotions. Set him free, Annie thought to herself. Taking a deep breath, she straightened her back and teased back, "Well, you better keep on your toes, then, because that's exactly what Joan told me to do."

Auggie's grin widened as he turned back to his computer. The lighthearted atmosphere, though, changed, as he heard something foreign, a kind of crackle nearby. His hearing had sharpened acutely in the past few years, and he'd learned to trust it more than any other sense he had left.

Adjusting his headphones, he listened intently, but realized it hadn't come from there. He slid them off his ears and cocked his head, searching out the sound. It came again, softly, but acutely.

With a speed that startled her, he shot his hand out and grasped Annie's arm.

"Auggie, what -"

"Shh!" Auggie whispered harshly, "Do you hear that?"

"No," Annie whispered, all senses going on alert. "What did you hear?"

The sound came again, a sort of crackle. "Someone's outside," Auggie stated. He felt Annie pull out of his grasp and stand. "Where are you going?"

He heard her silently move to the front of the van, and it wasn't until he heard the metal click of a gun being cocked that he realized she'd retrieved the van's firearm.

"Annie, no, don't," he said, standing and catching her arm as she walked past him to the side door.

"If someone is out there, I'll take care of it," Annie said, trying to extricate herself from his grasp. He only gripped tighter, and looking up at his face, she saw it was set in stone.

"Let me call in some backup," Auggie said, still whispering. The sound was coming closer, slowly, but steadily. "Protocol states that -"

"Protocol can kiss my butt," Annie stated emphatically. "If who we're following has found us, backup won't get here in time."

"We're locked up in here, Annie," Auggie pleaded. She was still trying to pull out of his grasp, and he reached out with his other hand, finding her neck. He splayed his fingers against it, his thumb against her jaw, angling her head up to look at his face. "Nothing can touch us in here."

Annie's resolve cracked a bit at his touch. "And what if they shoot off the locks, Auggie?" she whispered. "What if they do get in? I can't let anything happen to you - to us."

With a final, sharp tug, she pulled herself out of his grasp, her right hand on the handle, the left one holding the firearm. She'd managed to slip the lock and pull down the handle when the door suddenly slid open behind her. She felt herself falling back and reached out with her left hand, grasping for Auggie, dropping the pistol at his feet.

"Auggie!" was all she managed to scream out as a large arm wrapped around her neck.

Chapter 5

"Annie!"

Auggie reached out toward her scream, but only caught empty air. "Annie!" he shouted again, jumping down from the van, head moving from side to side to catch a sound, any sound. A strangled gasp to his right chilled him to the bone. Annie.

Anger surged up his spine, and he turned quickly, stalking toward Annie and her attacker. He only got two steps, though, when he heard another strangled gasp, this one edged with fear.

"If you value your life and hers, you will stop," a gruff male voice growled.

With all the self-control he could muster, Auggie stopped a few feet away from them, his hands curling into fists at his sides. "Annie, what's going on?"

"Auggie, I -" Annie sputtered out before the arm clenched around her neck once again, and the cold edge of the knife to her throat pressed into her skin.

"Quiet," her attacker grunted in her ear. She never saw his face as he'd hauled her up by her hair after she'd fallen out of the van. Then his arm had clamped around her neck, his elbow nearly at her chin, and her jugular being squeezed by a massive bicep. She'd started struggling almost immediately, then felt the blade at her cheek.

"Please," Annie whispered, willing herself to calm, "he can't see."

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw his head jerk up to stare at Auggie. For his part, Auggie stood still a few feet from them. His face was hard, and his hands were out to his sides, fingers clenching, ready to fight. Her head began to swim from lack of oxygen and blood, and she struggled to take a breath to speak. "His arm's around my neck, and he's got a knife at my cheek."

Thankfully, her attacker allowed her explanation and didn't squeeze any tighter. The knife, though, remained pressed firmly against her skin. She knew any movement she made would cause the knife to pierce her skin.

Tensing even more at Annie's words, Auggie thought quickly, forcing himself to remain calm. Annie must be outpowered, else he knew she'd have her attacker on the ground struggling to breathe.

Relaxing his body and his face, he allowed a bit of his fear to show. "Hey, guy, I don't know what you want, but -" He took a shuffling step toward them, then stopped cold at Annie's scream.

"I told you to stay where you are, and unless you want this pretty lady to not be so pretty anymore, you'll do what I say." Auggie stopped moving, and the man growled again, "Who are you? What are you doing here?"

A true strain of fear rose up in Auggie, and he put up his hands in surrender. Calming his voice, he said, "Come on, man, isn't it obvious?"

"What?" the man growled again.

"Dude, can't a man have some alone time with his girl without being hassled?" Auggie asked.

Annie felt the stranglehold relax just the tiniest bit, and as the blood began to rush into her brain once more and her vision cleared, she took an unsteady breath.

"Isn't that right, Annie? Come on, tell the guy," Auggie said quietly.

"Yeah - yeah," Annie said. "Please, just let us go. We didn't know we were on private property."

"You two seem awfully clothed for such late night activities," the man said suspiciously.

Auggie's head rolled, and he said frustrated, "That's 'cause we were about to head home, dude. We've already had sex and gotten dressed. Come on, man, just let us go. We won't tell anyone."

Annie felt the man's body tighten for a fraction of a second behind her, and she was afraid that Auggie's subterfuge wasn't working. She searched her eyes around for the weapon she'd dropped in her fall, but she couldn't see it in the dim light. It must have fallen back inside the van. Just then the cold steel lifted from her face slightly, and the bicep at her throat relaxed. It was just the opening she was looking for.

Releaxing her grip on the man's arm around her neck, she grabbed the wrist with the knife and twisted it, causing the blade to tumble to the ground as the man groaned with pain. With it out of the way, she twisted her body in his arm, slipping her neck out of his grip and whipping him away from her towards Auggie.

"Auggie!" she cried out in a warning tone, but she soon saw there was no need. Auggie grabbed the man and had him on the ground face first, his knee on their attacker's neck.

As the man struggled, Auggie said, "Annie, in the van, call for backup."

Stumbling toward the vehicle, Annie climbed up into it.

As he heard her relaying their position and situation in, Auggie's anger rose at the man straining beneath his knee. He didn't know how hurt Annie was, but just the fact that this man had his hands on her caused his blood to boil. He pressed his knee even further into the man's neck.

"You're lucky I don't kill you now," he growled low at the man.

"As if you could," their attacker grunted, trying to press up out of Auggie's grip. "Release me, and I promise I won't hurt your woman too much."

Auggie answered with a hard and swift punch to the man's face. He wasn't sure where it had landed, but he felt small bones crunch under his knuckles, and the man's struggles ceased. He'd knocked him out cold.

Annie stepped down from the van and walked unsteadily toward them. She saw blood on the man's face, and Auggie stood up. "Auggie, what did you do?" she said quietly, placing her hand on his arm.

"He's out," Auggie said simply, turning towards her. "How are you? What did he do to you? Are you hurt"

Annie stood still in front of him, her head still pounding and her lungs still aching for a deep breath. Her vision still swam a little, and she gripped tighter onto Auggie's arm.

"Just a bit dizzy," she said. "Give me a minute?"

His hands came up to her throat, and his sensitive fingers smoothed along the reddened flesh. "Were you cut at all? You said he had a knife."

"N-no," Annie said, her eyes closing at the gentle touch. "O-only had it pressed against my cheek. I don't think he cut me."

His left hand slid up her neck to her face, caressing the smooth skin. Annie gripped his arm tighter as the soft touch sent warmth through her chilled body. Looking up into his eyes, she saw concern and worry in them as his hands continued to move over her face and neck. His heavy breath warmed her face.

"Are you sure?" he asked softly.

A small flame of hope lit in her at his words. "Yes, Auggie. I'm fine."

Auggie sighed heavily and dropped his hands to her shoulders, pulling her toward him. He dropped his forehead to hers as relief rolled through him.

Annie could have cried at his embrace, as her arms stole around his waist. She knew it was the wrong time, and the wrong set of circumstances to do so, but the longing and exhaustion had weakened her, and looking up into his eyes, seeing deep into their depths, she tilted her head up.

Just as her lips were about to touch his, just as all the days of overwrought emotion and rejection were about to end, Auggie's head jerked back from hers.

She gasped audibly at his movement, tears springing to her eyes. A harsh stab of pain slid across her chest as his hands dropped from her shoulders.

"Our backup's here, thank God" Auggie said, releasing her and walking back towards the van.

The loss of his warmth enveloped her as she stood, unbidden tears coursing down her cheeks as all her dreams crumbled down to her feet.

Chapter 6

"So you're saying by the time our backup arrived -" Auggie said, leaning on his elbows.

"Dolphin and Main had already procured their mark and were on their way back to you with him, yes," Joan said, looking across at her newest field agent as he sat in front of her. "Apparently, the man who approached your van was one of Valder's soldiers out having a smoke. He'll be of use to us once he regains consciousness."

Auggie tried not to smirk at her words, but failed. He knew he felt bones crunching under his knuckles as he aimed that right hook at the man's head.

"Annie detailed in her report how, between the two of you, you were able to distract and subdue him with a story of - let's see, how did she put it?" Joan said, perusing the report in front of her. "As two horny people making out in a van?"

Auggie had the foresight to blush slightly at this.

"Yes, well," Joan continued, "The end result is what matters, but it still doesn't explain how he arrived here with a broken nose and eye socket."

Auggie rubbed the still slightly sore knuckles of his right hand. "He threatened to hurt Annie," he said simply. "I made sure that he couldn't."

"Uh-huh," Joan said, smiling slightly. "Before your next op, we'll make sure to equip the van with a perimeter alarm device so you won't have to rely on super hearing to see if anyone's sneaking up on you."

Auggie eyebrows raised at her words, startled. Then a wide grin spread across his face. "Guess I passed the test, huh?"

"Yes, you did," Joan remarked proudly. "Not only within the parameters of the mission, but also capturing and subduing an additional member of Valder's group."

Standing, Joan came around her desk and placed a hand on Auggie's shoulder. "Now, it's much too late to do anything else at this point. Take tomorrow off, you've deserved it. I'll see you back in here on Monday."

Auggie headed straight for Annie's desk. Granted, it was past midnight, and save one or two others still walking the halls, he hoped she was still there. Her chair, though, was empty.

Footsteps passed by, and he turned, "Hey, did Annie go home already?"

"No, Auggie," Barber said tiredly. "Her stuff's still there on her desk."

Frowning at the useless man's summation, Auggie sat down heavily in her chair. Exhaustion was taking its toll on him, but he really needed to talk to her before he left. The move to field status, rigging of the van, and briefing of the mission, coupled with his normal duties of handler had kept him busy all week. Annie, as well, had been out of the country for two days.

But for a week now, he knew something was wrong. She'd become distant, and up until tonight, anytime he dared touch her or approach her, she'd backed away as though she was burned. The thought that she was hurting, but unable to share with him the cause of it wounded his pride a bit.

They'd always been able to tell each other anything, and the fact that she was hiding something worried him immensely. Standing up from her chair, he walked out of the bullpen in search of her. There weren't many places to hide in that building, but if he knew her as well as he thought he did, he knew exactly where she was.

Annie sat in the darkened lobby on the hard wooden bench, allowing the sound of her tears as they coursed down her cheeks to mix with the waterfall art piece that stood in front of her. Normally this place gave her a sense of peace and calmed her spirit after a particularly hard day, but now all it did was add to her depression. She knew it was exhaustion and fright that had caused her to fall into Auggie's arms and nearly kiss him, but the fact that he'd pushed her away again set in stone the fact that her love would always be one-sided, and she had to live with that.

She'd dried her tears quickly at the site, not wanting the other agents to ask pressing questions, but once she'd been debriefed and released by Joan with the instruction of not to come back until Monday, she came straight here and let loose. Her insides were tearing themselves apart, and she couldn't hold it in anymore.

A sudden flash of green light in the semi-darkness lit off the waterfall, and Annie groaned, dropping her head into her hands. Damn it, she thought, can't I just be alone for five minutes? The criss-cross pattern of light danced around the room, finally lighting on her huddled form on the bench. She didn't - couldn't say anything. Perhaps - perhaps if she stayed quiet, he would leave.

His laser cane vibrated in his hand as he swept the lobby, stopping on the bench. Someone was sitting there, and inhaling, Auggie smelled Annie's perfume tinged with the slightest hint of something else.

"Annie?" he asked softly. Not hearing a reply, he stepped inside, and as he approached the bench, he heard something else, a slight sniff. It was then he realized she had been crying. Still was, in fact, as he heard another sniff.

"Hey, are you all right?" he asked, sitting down beside her. Still no answer. Placing his hand on the edge of the bench, his fingers brushed hers, and he hesitantly placed his hand on hers. This time she didn't flinch or pull away. He counted it as the first step forward.

"Annie, I know something's going on, and I want you to know I'm here for you," he said quietly. A choked sob answered him, and he fought the urge to place his arm around her shoulders and pull her close.

"Tell me, please. Is it the job? Did something go wrong when you were gone those two days?" he pressed.

Swallowing her tears, Annie said, "No."

"Did someone here upset you? Joan? Jai? Did he not take it well when you finally told him you weren't interested?" Auggie asked, thinking maybe a bit of humor would get her to open up, to talk.

No reply. Auggie tried another tack. "Was it tonight? Did that guy hurt you? You said you were all right, but -"

"I'm fine!" Annie said harshly, pulling her hand out from under his, her frustration and sadness getting the better of her. She wouldn't, couldn't look at him now.

"Then what, Annie?" Auggie cried, raising his voice in frustration. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

With as much dignity as she could muster, Annie stood. Wiping the last of the tears off her cheeks, she brushed her hair back from her face. "It's you, Auggie," she said, not able, at the last, to keep the tremble out of her voice. "You're what's wrong with me. May I go now?"

Auggie blinked, shocked at her confession. "Me? What are you talking about?"

Closing her eyes, Annie took a deep breath, "I've fallen in love with you, that's what's wrong. Now may I go?"

She'd gotten two steps away from him before a strong hand gripped her arm. "Please let me go, Auggie. I promise, I'll be able to stay friends with you, but I just need some time to let this go first."

The hand didn't move, and Annie felt her heart breaking inside her chest. She heard him stand and move in front of her. She still wouldn't allow herself to look up, to look at him. Even as his hand released her arm, and she saw his hands reach toward her face, capturing her jaw, she kept her eyes down. And as his hands raised her face up, she shut them.

A gasp escaped her as she felt his thumb across her bottom lip, and her eyes fluttered open to see him leaning towards her. "No, please," she whispered, pulling back against his hands desperately. His grip tightened on her jaw, and in an instant, his lips were on hers. Annie sobbed into his mouth, willing herself not to luxuriate in what she had denied herself all week.

After a few excruciating seconds, his lips and hands softened against her face. Annie felt his mouth pull back slightly from hers, then, aligning himself more perfectly, press against hers with such unbridled passion and gentleness that Annie's breath stuck in her throat, and a strangled moan escaped her lips.

Her hands grasped at him, fingers digging into his arms. The subtle thrill she'd experienced the past few days when he'd brush by her or touch her hand was nothing compared to the explosion of sensation that ran through her now. Her legs seemed to weaken, and Auggie held her up against him, wrapping his arms around her back as he angled his lips over hers, parting them, seeking and gaining admission.

Returning his ardor, Annie's arms freed themselves from where he'd wrapped his arms around her and flung them around his neck, fingers greedily grasping at his hair. When he'd pulled back, gasping for air, Annie looked fully and completely at his face. What she saw there brought tears back to her eyes, and a sob tore from her throat.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she half-sobbed, half-whispered.

Auggie shook his head before finally resting his forehead against hers. "Tell my best friend who's never shown more than friendship towards me that I loved her? When was I supposed to do that?"

A small laugh escaped Annie as she realized they'd shared the same anguish. "When?"

"When did I fall in love with you?"

Annie nodded, laying her head on his shoulder.

"Sometime between Christmas, when you'd caught me with what you said was mistletoe, and New Year's at that party at Allen's Tavern," Auggie whispered into her hair. "Remember that? The place was packed, and a chorus of 'Auld Lang Syne' started up as the countdown began, and you kissed me."

Annie's shoulders shook with laughter at the memory. "That drunk guy who wouldn't leave me alone all night was approaching."

"Yeah, you said, but I didn't care. All I knew was you were in my arms for one full, blissful minute," Auggie confessed, pulling her closer. "I take it this all happened for you recently?"

Annie closed her eyes, relishing the feel of his strong arms and legs as they stood closer than they ever had before. "Last week, when you were late for work and fell in your closet. I - I don't know why, or even what precipitated it, but I just knew in that one moment, as your arm went around me that -"

"That this is the person you could spend the rest of your life with?" Auggie finished for her. Annie nodded against his shoulder. "And that's why you left? And why you kept running?"

"I couldn't bear to see you, not after you pushed me away, and then again tonight, you wre holding me," Annie whispered, pulling back to look at him. "I thought you were going to kiss me. I thought - and then you -"

"Shh," Auggie said, pressing a kiss against her forehead. "Never again, Annie. I will never push away again."

THE END


End file.
